Charlie Hickey (coach)
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Central Connecticut |
| Conference | Northeast |
| Record | 646–540–5 |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | September 24, 1964 Middletown, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Connecticut '87 |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1992–1996 | Providence (asst.) |
| 1997–1999 | Providence |
| 2000–present | Central Connecticut |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 752–601–5 |
| Tournaments | NCAA: 4–18 |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 8× NEC tournament (2002–2004, 2010, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023) 4× NEC regular season (2003, 2004, 2006, 2023) NEC North: 2001 Big East tournament (1999) | |
| Awards | |
| ABCA Northeast Co-Coach of the Year: 2004 4× NEC Coach of the Year (2001, 2003, 2006, 2023) Big East Coach of the Year: 1999 | |
Charlie Hickey (born September 24, 1964) is an American college baseball coach. He has been the head coach of Central Connecticut since the 2000 season, leading the Blue Devils to six NCAA tournaments. Previously, he was the head coach at Providence for three seasons (1997–1999). Providence announced it was cutting the program prior to the 1999 season, but the team won that year's Big East title and advanced to an NCAA Regional final.
Coaching career[edit]
Collegiate summer baseball[edit]
Before becoming an NCAA head coach, Hickey was an assistant with the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League from 1992 to 1994, and head coach of the New England Collegiate Baseball League's Eastern Tides in 1996.
Providence[edit]
Hickey began his coaching career as an assistant at Providence in the 1992 season. He held the position for five years, then became head coach when Paul Kostacopoulos left to become the head coach at Maine following the 1996 season.
Hickey coached Providence for three seasons (1997–1999). In 1997, the Friars missed the Big East Tournament. In 1998, the team won 31 games and earned a Big East tournament berth. There, it lost its opening game to St. John's, then defeated Rutgers and West Virginia before being eliminated by Notre Dame.[1]
In October 1998, Providence announced it would cut its baseball program following the 1999 season, due to Title IX's gender equity requirements. During that season, Providence finished third in the Big East and went 49–16 to set a New England record for wins. It also swept the conference's major awards, with Hickey named Coach of the Year. At the Big East tournament, the Friars started off 1–1, defeating fourth-seeded Seton Hall in the opening game, then losing to second-seeded Rutgers. It then won three consecutive games (over Notre Dame, Rutgers, and St. John's) to win the tournament and receive the Big East's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. As a two-seed at the Tallahassee Regional, the Friars lost their opener to Jacksonville, 7–5. They staved off elimination with a 12–1 win over The Citadel. In the 1–1 game (a rematch against Jacksonville), Providence fell behind 7–1, but rallied to win 9–8 in a game that saw a bench-clearing brawl and support from Florida State's fans. In the regional championship, Florida State defeated the Friars, 14–3, in the program's final game.[2][3][4][5] The team's season was the subject of a book by Paul Lonardo and received national attention in the debate over Title IX.[6][7][8]
Central Connecticut[edit]
Hickey was offered the head coaching position at Central Connecticut (which he accepted) by retiring CCSU coach George Redman. Under Hickey, CCSU had a great deal of success in the early 2000s. The Blue Devils qualified for the NCAA tournament in 2002, 2003, and 2004, also winning NEC regular season titles in 2001 and 2006. Hickey was named NEC Coach of the Year in 2001, 2003, and 2006. Since 2006, CCSU has not won an NEC regular season title, but the Blue Devils won the NEC Tournament in 2010 to reach their fourth NCAA tournament under Hickey.[1][9]
In 2012, Hickey surpassed Hank Majlinger to become Central Connecticut's winningest coach. In 2013, he won his 500th career game. In 2014, multiple Blue Devils were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft for the first time in his tenure at CCSU– pitcher Nick Neumann was taken by the Pirates, and outfielder J.P. Sportman was taken by the Athletics.[10][11][12]
Head coaching record[edit]
Below is a table of Hickey's yearly records as a collegiate head baseball coach.[13][14][15]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Providence (Big East Conference) (1997–1999) | |||||||||
| 1997 | Providence | 26–23 | 10–15 | 4th (American) | |||||
| 1998 | Providence | 31–22 | 14–8 | 4th | Big East tournament | ||||
| 1999 | Providence | 49–16 | 18–8 | 3rd | NCAA Regional | ||||
| Providence: | 106–61 | 42–31 | |||||||
| Central Connecticut (Northeast Conference) (2000–present) | |||||||||
| 2000 | Central Connecticut | 17–31–1 | 9–11 | 3rd (North) | |||||
| 2001 | Central Connecticut | 30–22 | 14–8 | T-1st (North) | NEC Tournament | ||||
| 2002 | Central Connecticut | 34–23 | 18–9 | 3rd | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2003 | Central Connecticut | 31–17–2 | 19–6 | 1st | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2004 | Central Connecticut | 41–17–1 | 20–4 | 1st | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2005 | Central Connecticut | 19–28 | 10–14 | 7th | |||||
| 2006 | Central Connecticut | 33–18 | 16–7 | 1st | NEC Tournament | ||||
| 2007 | Central Connecticut | 26–26 | 14–14 | 4th | NEC Tournament | ||||
| 2008 | Central Connecticut | 25–24 | 18–9 | 2nd | NEC Tournament | ||||
| 2009 | Central Connecticut | 26–22 | 16–11 | 3rd | NEC Tournament | ||||
| 2010 | Central Connecticut | 33–23 | 18–14 | 3rd | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2011 | Central Connecticut | 26–25–1 | 17–14 | 5th | NEC Tournament | ||||
| 2012 | Central Connecticut | 28–24 | 19–13 | T-3rd | NEC Tournament | ||||
| 2013 | Central Connecticut | 28–25 | 16–16 | T-5th | |||||
| 2014 | Central Connecticut | 27–22 | 14–10 | 2nd | NEC tournament | ||||
| 2015 | Central Connecticut | 17–31 | 9–15 | 6th | |||||
| 2016 | Central Connecticut | 23–34 | 15–17 | 4th | NEC tournament | ||||
| 2017 | Central Connecticut | 36–22 | 21–7 | 2nd | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2018 | Central Connecticut | 18–28 | 12–16 | 6th | |||||
| 2019 | Central Connecticut | 31–23 | 16–8 | 2nd | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2020 | Central Connecticut | 4–8 | 0–0 | Season canceled due to COVID-19 | |||||
| 2021 | Central Connecticut | 28–15 | 21–9 | 2nd | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2022 | Central Connecticut | 29–18 | 17–10 | 3rd | NEC tournament | ||||
| 2023 | Central Connecticut | 36–14 | 25–5 | 1st | NCAA Regional | ||||
| Central Connecticut: | 646–540–5 | 374–247 | |||||||
| Total: | 752–601–5 | ||||||||
|
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Anthony, Mike (June 28, 2012). "Charlie Hickey Shows No Bitterness Towards Title IX". Courant.com. Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ "Providence Baseball Finishing Final Season: Title IX, Economics Forcing the Closing". Ocala Star Banner. Associated Press. May 6, 1999. p. 5C. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Popper, Steve (May 24, 1999). "Baseball: Providence Extends Last Season". NYTimes.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Schmadtke, Alan (May 31, 1999). "Seminoles End Friars' Final Season". Sun-Sentinel.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Hankin, Drew L. "Providence College Memoriam". SectionB.com. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Nelson, Travis. "Book Review: Strike IX, by Paul Lonardo". BleacherReport.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Lynch, Michael W. "Title IX's Pyrrhic Victory: How the Quest for 'Gender Equity' Is Killing Men's Athletic Programs". Reason.com. No. April 2001. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ "'Equal' Treatment Isn't Fair to Providence Program". Jacksonville.com. The Times-Union. May 29, 1999. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Fuller, Jim (June 2, 2010). "Area Players Key to Central Connecticut Baseball Success". NHRegister.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Anthony, Mike (April 2, 2012). "Charlie Hickey All-Time Leader in Baseball Victories at CCSU". Courant.com. Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ "Baseball Coach Charlie Hickey Wins 500th Game". SportzEdge.com. CCSU Sports Communications. May 15, 2013. Archived from the original on August 31, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ Straub, Matt (June 7, 2014). "Two CCSU Players Taken in MLB Draft". New Britain Herald. Archived from the original on June 25, 2014. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ "2013 Big East Conference Baseball Media Guide". BigEast.org. Big East Conference. Archived from the original on March 26, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ "NEC Baseball Standings (1998–2014)". NortheastConference.org. Archived from the original on July 7, 2013. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ^ "NCAA Division I Baseball Championship Record Book" (PDF). NCAA.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 6, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2014.