Wittenberg University Head Baseball Coach Brian McGee enters his eighth season with the Tigers in 2024. McGee specializes in working with the Tiger hitters. McGee was named the 10^th Head Coach in Baseball history before the start of the 2017 season. Upon McGee’s arrival he had an immediate impact on the rebuild and restoring of the program’s reputation in a short period of time at Wittenberg.

Coaching History

• St. Francis de Sales High School; Toledo, OH (2001)
• University of Toledo (2002)
• Lorain Catholic High School; Lorain, OH (2003)
• Greensboro College (2004-2007)
• Lake Erie College (2008-2016)
• Wittenberg University (2017-present)

Wittenberg Highlights

• During the 2023 season the Tigers team reached epic proportions in one of the programs finest seasons in program history.  For their accomplishments McGee and staff were honored as the “NCAC Coaching Staff of the Year” after finishing with a program record for wins with an impressive 32-10 overall record. The team went 14-2 in NCAC play finishing as runner-up in both regular season and tournament championship play.  At the end of the season Wittenberg was ranked as a the top five program in the entire Mideast Region.  A record setting season that includes program records for; overall wins (32), consecutive wins (15), team batting avg. (.353), hits (533), doubles (115), runs batted in/RBI (371), and strikeouts by a pitching staff (289).  The team had a record nine players named to the all NCAC team, and qualified for postseason play for the second consecutive year.  Not only did these accomplishments rewrite the Wittenberg baseball record books, but also garnered national attention having finished in the top 25 nationally in many statistical areas such as; batting average (5^th), hits (23^rd), doubles (13^th), doubles per game (3^rd), on base percentage (6^th), runs (24^th), and runs per game (10^th).         
• The 2022 season was again another step forward into the rise of the program.  Wittenberg finished with their most wins since 1995 having gone 27-12 overall and 14-4 in NCAC conference play, which culminated in a second place finish in conference play, and ranked seventh in the entire Mideast Region; just missing out as a national tournament qualifier.  The Tigers placed 6 individuals on the all conference team and qualified for the NCAC baseball tournament for the first time since 2011 as the two seed.  
• The 2021 season proved to be the programs winningest since 1998 having finished with an overall record of 21-11 while posting their highest finish in NCAC conference play (2nd) since 1996.  The Tigers defeated every opponent on their schedule that season and opened their schedule with eight consecutive wins, including a 5-1 route over NCAA Division I opponent the University of Akron in the opener. 
• The 2020 shortened COVID season proved to be another sign of the program’s positive direction as the Tigers finished 7-3 and poised to possibly compete for their first ever NCAC title.  
• The 2019 season showed tremendous improvements as McGee had raised the teams winning percentage almost .250 points since taking over the program finishing 19-16 and 9-9 in NCAC play.  This was the first time since 2011 the program finished with .500+ records both in and outside of conference play. 
• In 2018 McGee was able to put his first recruiting class on the field and competed as one of the youngest teams in NCAA III that season.  The talent within that first-class helped raise the bar for the program having finished with a program-best for overall wins and conference wins since the 2013 season.  Other statistical accomplishments from 2018 which support the rise of the program are bests in batting average (.285) since 2015, home runs (14) since 2009, runs (244) and RBI (211) since 2012, and the second best strikeout total (218) since 2002, and the teams lowest ERA and BB totals since 2013.
• In McGee’s inaugural season he led the 2017 Tigers to an overall record of 13-23 and a 5-11 finish in NCAC action.  Despite being hired just before the school year, and having inherited the entire roster of players for his first season, the team was able to raise its winning percentage by over 50 points showing a noticeable change in direction.

Prior Coaching Highlights

• McGee assisted the University of Toledo Rocket infielders and hitters in 2002 while earning a Masters degree in Recreation Administration. 
• Was named Lorain County Coach of the Year in 2003 for leading his Lorain Catholic HS Spartans to the Regional Semi-Finals for the first time in over a decade. 
• As an assistant coach from 2004-2007 at Greensboro College (NC), McGee took control of the infielders as the Pride saw some of their most prolific winning and statistical seasons. In 2006, the Greensboro infield finished 12^th in the nation in fielding percentage under his tutelage.
• From 2008-2016 McGee lead the Lake Erie College (OH) baseball program for nine seasons, having guided the teams transition from NCAA III to NCAA Division II status during the 2009 season.  
• Acknowledged as the all-time “winningest” coach in LEC baseball program history.
• Was just the second head coach in the colleges 150 plus year history from any sport to reach the 100-win plateau as a head coach.
• Set a program record for overall wins in five out of nine seasons as head coach, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014.
• Posted a better than .500 winning percentage in conference play after inheriting the program with a lifetime .250 winning percentage.
• First Lake Erie sports team to defeat an NCAA I opponent.
• First Lake Erie sports team to win a national tournament contest as an NCAA II member.
• From 2012 to 2014 the Storm became the only Ohio based team to make the GLIAC playoffs in each of those three seasons, making them one of the most successful Ohio-based Division II programs in recent history.
• The 2014 season remains the programs high mark having qualified for the NCAA II Baseball Championships by earning a birth to the Midwest Regional tournament. The Storm finished with a program best, 32 wins that season, along with making the conference tournament for the third consecutive year, played for the GLIAC conference championship, and finishing as the #5 team in the Midwest Region.
• Responsible for recruiting and developing the college’s first five ever professional baseball players, all since 2011.
• Ryan Rua was selected in the 17^th round of the 2011 Major League Draft by the Texas Rangers. In 2014, Rua was named to the Texas League mid-season All-Star roster for the Double-A Frisco RoughRiders. At the All-Star festivities, Rua captured the Homerun Derby title before becoming the Texas Rangers opening day leftfielder in 2015. Rua had played over 270 games at the Major League level before retiring at the end of the 2018 season.   
• Luke Raley became the second player from LEC ever taken in the MLB draft when he was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 7^th round in 2016. Most remarkably, Luke was the very 1^st position player (3^rd overall) selected in the draft from an NCAA II school. Raley made his MLB debut with the Los Angeles Dodgers in April of 2021.  That season he made the 29 man roster during the NLDS for the Dodgers.  Luke is currently (2023 season) a significant contributor and full time player for the Tampa Bay Rays. 
• McGee was also responsible for the development of the programs first All-American, ten All-Region players, and a Gold Glove in seven eligible seasons. In addition, there were 31 student athletes selected to the All-Conference team and one player selected as Freshman of the Year.

Playing History

• McGee was a four-year letter winner, a team captain, and an all-conference player at Tiffin University from 1997-2000.

Personal

• McGee and his wife Adriann, married in October of 2011, reside in Hilliard, Ohio, with their daughter, Gigi, and son, Buster.