Baseball
- Title:
- Interim Head Coach
In his seventh season at the University of Michigan, Chris Harrison makes his debut as interim head baseball coach of the Wolverines in 2002. Harrison, who accepted the position in September, will be making his first venture as a head coach at the NCAA Division I level.
Harrison, 42, starts his 15th season in the collegiate coaching ranks in 2001-02. He served as head coach for four years at the NAIA level at The Master's College (1991-95).
While at The Master's College, in Santa Clarita, Calif., Harrison was named NAIA District Three Coach of the Year in 1991. He is the winningest coach at The Master's College (89 wins), and twice led the Mustangs to the district playoffs where they reached the championship game 1991for the first time in school history.
While at The Master's College Harrison coached 1995 Golden Spikes finalist and current Detroit Tiger left-handed pitcher Mark Redman who was a freshman under Harrison before transferring to Oklahoma.
Harrison, who has served as the hitting instructor for the Wolverines during his tenure, had another successful season in 2001 as his charges hit .298 as a team. Eight of the top nine hitters from a year ago return in 2002 led by MVP Brock Koman (.383, 14 homers, 60 RBI). Michigan has hit .300 or better three times in the last five years.
Harrison, a native of San Diego, Calif., and a graduate of Hoover High School, earned four letters as a first baseman/designated hitter at Oral Roberts University. He played on the 1978 Oral Roberts squad that tied with Michigan for fifth place in the College World Series. He lettered four seasons (1978-79-81-82), missing the 1980 season due to a serious shoulder injury suffered prior to the start of the season. He played in three NCAA Regional Championships (1978-81-82).
Harrison earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in communications at Oral Roberts in 1982.
In his six seasons as an assistant coach at Michigan, Harrison has handled the third base coaching duties and worked with the infielders and outfielders as well as the hitting instruction.
Hitting highlights in the past several seasons under Harrison include the 1999 team setting the doubles record (150) for the second time in three seasons and the .323 average by the 1997 squad was the highest for the Wolverines since the 1985 team (55-10) with Barry Larkin (.368) and Hal Morris (.421) set the school record (.362).
Harrison coached four-year starters Mike Cervenak (293 hits) and Jason Alcaraz (272), who ended their careers in 1999 ranked one-two on the career hits list breaking Ken Hayward's mark of 267 set in 1985. The 1999 team also had seniors Brian Bush (94 hits) and Bobby Scales (92 hits) both surpass the 1985 mark of 92 hits set by Mike Watters.
Harrison has served as an assistant coach at Kansas State (1983), Gordon College (1988) and The Master's College (1989-90). Additionally, he served as sports information director at The Master's College (1988-94). Harrison served as a head coach for an Athletes in Action team that put together a 22-0 record while touring Europe in 1985, and he coached in Holland, Alphen Baseball Club, in 1987.
Harrison and his wife, the former Jennifer Aoki are parents of Steven (10) and Sarah (8) and they reside in Tecumseh, Mich.
