Chip Hale supporters say his ability to connect, communicate will lead to success as UA coach

Chip Hale fills almost every box on the Arizona baseball coaching checklist.

Hale, who was announced as the Wildcats’ coach Monday, excelled at the UA as a player. He set multiple school marks and won a national championship under Jerry Kindall. Hale then played in the major leagues before becoming a professional coach. He managed the Diamondbacks for two seasons and was part of the coaching staff for the 2019 World Series champion Washington Nationals.

All that’s missing on Hale’s résumé is college coaching experience. It’s no small thing. But former players and teammates believe Hale will have no trouble making that transition.

“That won’t be a problem for a Chip at all,” said ex-MLB pitcher Randy Choate, who played for Hale with the Tucson Sidewinders from 2004-06. “He’s got great communication skills. He’s got a great baseball sense. He’s business when he needs to be. He can also have fun. He knows how to connect with players.”

Choate said motivating players can be particularly challenging in the minor leagues, where most are trying to advance their pro careers. Many, especially in Triple-A, are bitter about not being in the majors.

The energetic Hale always found a way to inspire the Sidewinders, especially in 2006, when they went 91-52 and he was named Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year.

“He loved being out there,” said Choate, who works in education in Davis, California. “I loved playing for him.”

Choate split time between the Sidewinders and Diamondbacks. After being called up in September of 2006, he continued to follow his former teammates. His MLB teammates would ask: “Why are you watching the Triple-A playoffs?”

“Those are my guys,” Choate would say. “We’re like a family.”

Hale, 56, has almost 15 years of MLB coaching experience. He has served this season as the third-base coach for the Detroit Tigers. His last game was Monday at Texas. He officially will be introduced in Tucson on Wednesday.

“Having worked with Chip and having him as a bench coach, I always felt like he would be PERFECT for the college game,” tweeted former MLB pitcher Dallas Braden, who got to know Hale with the Oakland Athletics in the mid-2010s. “Prepared. Motivated. Grinder. Disciplined. Regimented. He will have expectations, and should those young athletes pay attention, they will exceed them on and off the field.”

Kindall disciple

Hale takes over the UA program a little over a week after Jay Johnson departed for LSU. Johnson coached the Wildcats for six seasons and led them to two College World Series berths.

“We will work tirelessly to build on the success that has been established here and continue to coach and develop our Wildcats to be champions on the field and in the classroom,” Hale said in a news release. “With the help and support of the University of Arizona and the Wildcat Family, we plan on making many trips to Omaha!”

When he was here, Johnson spoke of his reverence for Kindall. Hale has a more direct connection to the late, legendary coach, who led the UA to three national championships in the 1970s and ’80s. Hale — the program’s all-time leader in games played, hits and total bases — was a key member of the 1986 CWS champs.

“He reminds me a lot of our old head coach,” said former UA pitcher Gil Heredia, another star player on the ’86 squad who’s now the pitching coach for the Inland Empire 66ers, a class-A affiliate of the Angels.

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“He seems like he values the same things. He understands what needs to happen to have a successful college team — fundamentals, doing things right.”

Heredia described his former teammate as a “hard-nosed player,” a “smart individual” and a team leader. Hale was a team captain and never missed a game in four seasons, appearing in 255 consecutive contests.

“Chip is a hard, disciplined worker. Always has been,” said ESPN college baseball analyst Wes Clements, who played for Arizona in 1979 and ’80. “He has Jerry Kindall’s DNA in him, and that speaks for itself.”

Heredia said Kindall’s teams didn’t always have the most talent or the greatest number of All-Americans. But the program had a strong culture and a knack for coming together at opportune times.

“I know Chip is going to continue with that standard and continue the legacy our university has,” Heredia said.

Lawn kept as pitching coach

Arizona has won four national championships, the last coming in 2012 under Andy Lopez. The Wildcats reached the CWS finals in 2016, Johnson’s first season, and returned to Omaha this year.

Arizona lost All-America DH Jacob Berry to LSU but returns a promising young corps headlined by catcher Daniel Susac, pitcher TJ Nichols and outfielder Chase Davis. Davis’ father seemed enthused about Hale’s hiring.

“Great to have a coach who really wants to win and be here for the Arizona baseball players,” Tommy Davis tweeted. “I’m excited and look forward to great things happening over the next two years.”

The Wildcats’ roster remains in flux with nearly 20 players in the NCAA transfer portal and several possibly leaving via the MLB draft, which starts Sunday. The same goes for the coaching staff, although one important piece has been determined.

Hale is retaining veteran assistant Dave Lawn, who is returning to his role as pitching coach. Lawn, who has almost three decades of experience as a Division I assistant on the West Coast, served as Johnson’s pitching coach from 2016-19. Lawn’s first three UA pitching staffs had a combined ERA of 3.78.

The staff struggled in 2019, posting a 6.21 ERA and prompting Johnson to shuffle his assistants. He hired Nate Yeskie to coach the pitchers and reassigned Lawn to a defensive-coordinator role. Lawn served as Arizona’s third-base coach for most of the ’21 season.

It remains to be seen whether Hale will go younger to fill out the staff — Lawn also is in his mid-50s — and/or tap the UA alumni pool. A former UA assistant under Lopez, Oregon coach Mark Wasikowski, is believed to have been the other finalist for the job. Wasikowski on Monday agreed to a contract extension to remain in Eugene.

UA athletic director Dave Heeke’s search seemed focused on coaches with Wildcat ties.

“Chip has long been a member of the Wildcat Family as a former student-athlete and has always remained close to our university and to our Tucson community,” Heeke said. “He has played and coached at the highest levels of the game and brings an unbridled passion and enthusiasm to his work.

“I have no doubt that Chip embraces the ‘Wildcat Way’ mission we share at Arizona Athletics, and that he will mentor and develop future generations of Wildcat champions on the diamond, in the classroom and in the community.”