More than a coach…

Today I learned that Coach Hunt, my college baseball coach, has announced his intention to retire at the end of the 2021 season. Amassing 40+ years of coaching at Cumberland University and leaving a legacy on the field that is unmatched. Currently, he sits at 1608 wins, more than any other active college baseball coach in the country. He has won three national titles, 20 conference titles, 17 coach of the year honors, and had 99 former players play professionally—an incredible resume.

Simply put, with all of those accomplishments, he will go down as one of the best coaches in the history of college baseball. But as a former player, I can say that is not what I will remember about Coach Hunt. His influence on me has less to do with the World Series ring I received, the fastball I threw, or the 58-9 record our team compiled and more to do with the type of pastor I am, the man I have become, the way I parent my kids, and the way I treat my wife. We all have people in our lives who have impacted us, influenced us, and shaped our lives. Outside of family, there is no human being who has had a greater impact on my life than Coach Hunt. Coach Hunt helped me become the best version of myself on the mound, and he helped me become the best version of myself off the field.

As I have thought about my time at CU within the baseball program and reflected on my relationship with Coach Hunt, I discovered the three things I appreciate about him the most have nothing to do with the game of baseball.

He instilled humility and selfless leadership.

If you talk to any former player, one of Coach Hunt’s famous one-liners is, “I would like to buy you for what you’re worth and sell you for what you think you’re worth.” At the time, it was comedic to hear him say it. We would get a good chuckle about it, and even he would crack a smile when he said it. Nearly 11 Years removed from being on the field at CU, I have realized it was more than a simple statement. It was a picture of the humility he wanted to see in us. A picture of humility that I believe Coach Hunt gleaned from his faith.

Phillipians 2:3-4 says “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

He taught us humility that showed up on the baseball field. He did laundry, he cleaned bathrooms, and he selflessly served the team and the University. The man had over 1000 wins as a head coach at the time and did the team’s laundry. That is unheard of in the sports world. Because of his leadership, humility is evident in former players’ lives long after they leave Lebanon.

He instilled faith.

The college years have the potential to be joyous, but they also have the potential to be disastrous. I have said many times to people over the last ten years that I would have not only quit baseball but would have gone down a different trajectory as a 19-year-old college student had it not been for Coach Hunt’s influence. A big part of that influence was his ability to challenge and encourage me as a baseball player. I remember him pulling me to the side of the field as a scrawny freshman after an intrasquad game and saying, “you have the ability to be a professional pitcher.” That one simple statement sparked a different outlook for me and challenged me to work my tail off to get better.

More importantly, he led in a way that pointed his players, other coaches, and our opponents to his faith as a follower of Christ. The five years I spent playing for Coach Hunt are five years that I look back on as foundational in my faith journey. In part because of his example, in part because of his personal encouragement to me, and in part because of the way he supported me.

He instilled manhood.

Dr. Robert Lewis once said, "A real man is one who rejects passivity, accepts responsibility, leads courageously, and expects the greater reward, God's reward." Every year we received a team notebook. Within the notebook was a collection of quotes, lessons, and things Coach Hunt would use to define for us what it meant to compete as a team and represent our families and University well. I’ll never forget one of our team rules was “make no excuses.” There was no excuse; in other words, we had to learn to reject passivity and accept responsibility. If you don’t get it done, own it. The no excuse rule created a next guy mentality among the team. Meaning if one guy didn’t have it, the next guy in line would step up. As a pitcher, there were days where I simply didn’t have it. To be honest, more days than I would like to remember. But it was okay because the next guy up would get it done. Some of my fondest memories are cheering for the guy who came in after I got shelled. I didn’t give up many hits, but when I did, I gave up bombs. He taught us what it meant to be men on the field, which translated into wins on the field but more importantly, it translated into us being men off the field.

The way I interact with my wife and kids is a result of Christ in my life, first and foremost, but it is also a result of the understanding of manhood I gained from Coach Hunt while at CU.

I will be forever grateful for Coach Hunt’s influence on my life. I am a better pastor, I am a better man, my kids have a better dad, and my wife has a better husband due to his influence on my life.

Woody Hunt is more than a coach…I love you, coach.