University of Connecticut Athletics
Baseball
- Title:
- Volunteer Assistant Coach
Chris Podeszwa has been a member of his former UConn teammate Jim Penders' coaching staff since Penders took over as head coach in 2004. Podeszwa's focus is primarily on the instruction of infielders and hitters. Podeszwa is part of the longest tenured coaching staff in Division I baseball.Â
Podeszwa has helped develop major league talent working with Nick Ahmed, John Andreoli, Mike Olt and George Springer during his time with the Huskies.
Podeswa was inducted into the Waterford Athletic Hall of Fame in 2016. On November 25, 2016 Podeszwa and seven others represented the sixth induction class.
The Huskies won 38 games during the 2025 campaign and won their fifth-straight BIG EAST Regular Season Championship. Second baseman Ryan Daniels earned BIG EAST Player of the Year while shortstop Rob Rispoli earned All-BIG EAST First Team honors and first baseman Tyler Minick landed on the second team.Â
UConn earned an at-large bid to its sixth-straight NCAA Tournament during the 2024 season. The Huskies won their fourth-straight BIG EAST regular season championship and advanced to the program's third Super Regional appearance by winning the NCAA Norman Regional
During the 2023 season, he helped the Huskies win 44 games and win their third-straight BIG EAST Championship while advancing to the NCAA Gainesville Regional. Â
In 2022, he helped the program set a program record with 50 wins and a trip to the program's second Super Regional after capturing the 2022 NCAA College Park Regional title.Â
In 2019, Podeszwa helped the program earn its fifth at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament and second-straight season. The Huskies have eclipsed 30 wins in 18 of the 21 seasons under Coach Dez (2020 shortened due to Covid) and 11 times in the past 16 seasons have posted 35 wins or more.
Podeszwa helped the Huskies capture their first-ever American Athletic Conference crown in 2016, helping guide the program to a 38-25 overall mark and its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last seven seasons.Â
The 2014 Huskies finished in the top-100 nationally in on-base percentage, placing fourth in The American with a .364 mark. Podeszwa also helped three hitters (Blake Davey, Max McDowell, Bobby Melley) earn All-Conference nods, while Melley was named 2014 NEIBA New England Player of the Year.
In 2013, the Huskies finished with a .270 team batting average and an impressive .365 on-base percentage. UConn scored 318 runs in 63 games, averaging out to 5.05 runs per game. Podeszwa also guided second baseman LJ Mazzilli to an All-America season before he became a fourth round draft pick of the New York Mets.
Podeszwa was an integral part of the 2011 UConn club that won the program's first-ever BIG EAST Regular Season Championship and advanced to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time.
In 2010, Podeszwa helped the Huskies' set new single-season records in hits, runs scored and RBI, besting the records the club set in 2009. UConn recorded 750 hits, 542 runs scored and 492 RBI in 2010.
After graduating from UConn in 1993, Podeszwa served as an envoy coach for Major League Baseball International in New York and Europe. His responsibilities included preparing the German Junior National Team for the European Championships while organizing coordinated clinics for youth players and coaches.
In 1995, Podeszwa moved to Sweden to play and coach for the Skelleftea Bears Baseball Club in Skelleftea, Sweden. His stay in Scandinavia was highlighted by both of his teams capturing the Swedish National Championship.
In 1996, Podeszwa was hired as the assistant baseball coach at Mitchell College in New London, Conn., and in 1998, he became the assistant baseball coach for the University of Connecticut's Avery Point branch under head coach Roger Bidwell. At Avery Point, Podeszwa helped lead his squads to the NJCAA Region XXI Championship in 1999 and 2000. Avery Point also captured the Northeast Region Championship in 1999 and earned a trip to the NJCAA Division II World Series.
In between summer evaluation and recruiting assignments for the Huskies, Podeszwa continues to serve as an assistant baseball coach for Yarmouth-Dennis of the Cape Cod Baseball League. He coached 15th seasos with the Red Sox, who won the league championship in 2004, 2006 and 2007.
Podeszwa played at UConn from 1990-93. He was part of the 1990 BIG EAST Championship club and played every position for the Huskies except center field. He and Penders were teammates at UConn for three seasons.
Podeszwa, who earned a master's degree in 2003 at Southern Connecticut, is married to UConn alum, Isabella Basile. The couple has three children, Sophia, who ran track at UConn, Connor, who plays baseball at Tufts, and Emilia, who is committed to play softball at Binghamton. They reside in Waterford, Conn.
