Inside the traits that made Chris Hart the 'perfect fit' to take over as NC State's baseball coach

After spending two seasons at NC State’s director of baseball operations, Chris Hart wanted to stay in an on-field coaching position going into the 2007 campaign. An NCAA rule change forced those in his role to be an ununiformed support staff member tied to a desk, which didn’t fancy his interest.  Although the then-26-year-old budding assistant barely had any experience — one season as the hitting coach at St. Petersburg (Fla.) College and a summer ball campaign in Virginia’s Valley League — Hart took it upon himself to prove to Wolfpack skipper Elliott Avent he deserved a shot on the full-time staff.  So after an assistant coach role opened on Avent’s staff that offseason, the ambitious Hart didn’t wait for anyone to task him with work. He wanted the job so badly that he started driving around the country to recruit for NC State, looking to silence the one knock on his job prospects: a thin coaching résumé . A three-week stint in Atlanta was followed by a drive down to Florida seeking to gain experience on the fly. Hart wanted to make a positive impact on the Wolfpack program in a hurry, hoping that Avent would just promote him to the assistant position as a critical step in his young coaching career.  While it wasn’t the popular choice to hire someone so young with still so much to learn, Avent elected to take a chance on the former Florida State standout utility man that offseason. “I think everybody in our world told him not to do it,” Hart recently recalled. “‘He doesn’t have the experience, you don’t know if he’s going to be able to recruit.’ That was the theme in college baseball. I don’t think anybody would have made that move at that time, and he did. It was probably a stupid move, to be honest with you, but it turned out pretty good for our program in the long run.” Hart not only shined in the role, he became Avent’s right-hand man. It was a chance that those around the country likely scratched their heads at, in the moment, but over the next two decades, tried to lure Hart away from Raleigh. The loyal baseball mind blossomed with the Pack, earning more responsibilities over the years from becoming the lead recruiter to pacing the development plans for the roster and manning third base to run the team’s offense.  In turn, NC State found immense success with Hart serving alongside his mentor in Avent. The two teamed up for a 804-465 record with 18 NCAA Tournament bids, five Super Regional appearances and three trips to the Men’s College World Series in Omaha. And now, after Avent’s retirement following 30 seasons at the helm of the Wolfpack, it’s Hart’s turn to guide the program. The 46-year-old was promoted to be the next head coach on May 22, ready to take over once NC State’s 2026 season came to an end. The Auburn Regional, which featured losses to No. 4 Auburn and UCF, marked the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one in Raleigh. Change is tough, especially in replacing a three-decade veteran on the top step of the dugout. But for those around the Wolfpack program, Hart was the only choice that made sense. So much so that when his hire was announced in the locker room after a Friday practice before going out on social media, current and former players raved about him. “He’s a guru with everything,” sophomore outfielder Ty Head said. “It’s the perfect fit.” “I’ve never really been around someone that wants to win more than anything,” junior second baseman Luke Nixon added. “He’ll do whatever it takes.” “I know how much work he’s put in, and I feel like Avent had a really good right-hand man,” former shortstop Brandon Butterworth said. “I feel like it was the easiest choice to make. It was right in front of them this whole time.” What made Hart the shoo-in choice to replace Avent? It’s an obvious question, but one that the former associate head coach more than proved over the last 22 seasons on his staff as he cemented himself as a key cog in the program’s national success. There are three critical traits that have prepared him for this moment. Just ask those he’s been around at NC State.