A new era of Virginia baseball was made official Tuesday, as Chris Pollard, formerly the head coach of Duke from 2013-2025, was named the sixteenth head coach in Virginia baseball history, and the successor to former Coach Brian O’Connor. The leader of a longtime ACC foe, Pollard is certainly a noteworthy hire. But the decision to hire Pollard goes far beyond the fact that he is a proven winner.
Equally as important as winning, Pollard is a beloved leader, a proven builder of programs and a staple of east coast baseball. Just ask Hector Crespo, one of his star players from when Pollard coached Appalachian State from 2005-2012.
“I think you're going to get a coach that is going to build credibility through having a clear vision,” Crespo said. “He's going to be honest, he's going to hold guys accountable. He's going to really bring out the best in everyone that's around him.”
Interestingly enough, former players talk about Pollard similarly to how they talk about O’Connor — it is about more than just baseball.
“He means more to me than just being my former head coach or just a baseball coach,” Crespo said. “He was a mentor, a leader, someone who truly shaped the way I approached the gentleman I am right now. He believed in me, challenged me, held me to a standard that I didn't even know was capable of reaching.”
But before Pollard became the Cavaliers’ skipper, he spent decades ascending the college baseball ranks in North Carolina through a few stops.
Pollard played college ball at Davidson from 1993-1996, and spent a year as an assistant coach as well. His college coach, Dick Cooke, keeps in touch with Pollard and is not surprised to see him succeed.
“He’s got a great track record of success everywhere he’s been,” Cooke said.
In 2000, Pollard then got his first shot as a head coach with Pfeiffer, a Division II program in North Carolina. In his five years there, the team’s record improved each season. Then, he got his first Division I opportunity at Appalachian State in 2005.
There, Pollard continued to be a program builder. He inherited a team that went 10-43 in 2004 and progressively turned the Mountaineers into a respectable team. By his third year in Boone, N.C., Pollard led Appalachian State to a 30-win season — their first since 1986.
Another highlight came in 2012, when Pollard led the Mountaineers to the NCAA Tournament, and a matchup against the No. 15 Cavaliers in the Charlottesville Regional. Against O’Connor and his star-studded lineup, the Mountaineers shocked the world with an upset win. Crespo remembers that day, and cited it as a shining example of Pollard’s ability to develop a program.
“The University of Virginia is getting a coach who understands how to build and sustain excellence,” Crespo said. “He doesn't just run a team, he helps build the standard, and he's going to elevate everyone in that program. It’s not just about what he says, but how he leads.”
Another one of Pollard’s Mountaineers, pitcher Ryan Arrowood, agrees.
“He has the ability to bring kids in, young men that know how to win, that are willing to work together,” Arrowood said. “He’s had success everywhere that he's gone, and I don't see that changing [in Charlottesville].”
But before joining the Cavaliers, Pollard made one final stop at Duke. And, similarly to Appalachian State, he inherited a fledgling program. The Blue Devils had not reached the NCAA Tournament since 1961.
But for Pollard, it was easy to remedy that lack of success. In his third season, he led Duke to a 33-win 2016 campaign. Then he kept ascending — Pollard’s Blue Devils were ranked in the 2018 preseason, a feat which had never been accomplished in program history.
“He understands how to win, but he also understands how to win within the framework of institutions whose philosophy is centered around the academic experience as well,” Cooke said.
In 2018, Pollard led Duke to the super regional round for the first time in program history. Then he won the program’s first ACC Tournament title in 2021. He captured another in 2024. And in between those titles, his 2023 season ended in Charlottesville — just like 2012. This time, though, it was the Cavaliers who sent him packing.
Two of Pollard’s best seasons ended at Disharoon Park. Now, he will play his home games there.
Caleb Dudley, a multimedia sports editor who has covered the Blue Devils for three years at The Duke Chronicle, believes Pollard will feel right at home.
“They're going to have an exciting output every single time out there,” Dudley said. “And they're going to have a coach that loves the program and loves the fan base, and so it should result in a lot of wins up in Charlottesville.”
Pollard’s long journey in college baseball now reaches a new chapter. The Virginia man is home. He has a wealth of resources and support that he has never had before in his career — the Cavalier program is elite and nationally respected after the work done by O’Connor over the last two decades.
But therein lies the rub. For the first time in Pollard’s career, he is not inheriting some charity case. He is the head coach of a team that is expected to be a frequent visitor to the College World Series. That comes with a lot of pressure, but he is built to handle it.
“I think high expectations can be had,” Arrowood said. “He's going to bring a lot of success and fun for the program. So, there's not going to be any downfall with him coming in…I think it's going to be some great, great fun for Virginia baseball.”
Expectations, certainly, are palpable. But for those wondering how Pollard will possibly live up to them, his focus on culture should be a solid base.
“He taught us that discipline isn't just something you turn on when the lights are on or when the lights are the brightest,” Crespo said. “It's a daily standard … He always emphasized being consistent, being intentional and finding meaning in the work.”
Any coach can focus on winning and find great success. But in a college landscape increasingly impacted by personality, being classy matters, especially at Virginia, where respect and honor are core values. Pollard checks all the boxes there — he is a Cavalier leader.
That’s Chris Pollard.
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