Jeff Hourigan - Baseball Coach - University of Connecticut Athletics

Jeff Hourigan

Title:
Associate Head Coach
Email:
jeffrey.hourigan@uconn.edu

Jeff Hourigan joined Jim Penders’ staff prior to the 2012 season and is now entering his 15th season as an assistant coach in 2026. Hourigan, who played at UConn for two seasons, returned to Storrs after spending five years as an assistant coach and pitching coach at the University of New Haven. Hourigan is part of the longest tenured coaching staff in Division I baseball.

During Hourigan's time in Storrs, he has mentored the UConn hitters, specifically outfielders, and served as the recruiting coordinator. Since he came aboard, UConn has had 20 position players drafted or signed by MLB clubs. Hourigan has also helped mentored five All-Americans, with David Smith (2023), Erik Stock (2022), Kyler Fedko (2021), Vinny Siena (2015) and LJ Mazzilli (2013) each earning All-America honors during their time in Storrs.

UConn won 38 games in 2025 and won its fifth-straight BIG EAST Regular Season Championship. Ryan Daniels earned BIG EAST Player of the Year while four position players landed All-BIG EAST honors. UConn scored the third most runs (519) in a single-season, stole 139 bases (second most) and hit a program record 97 home runs including 22 for Tyler Minick (2nd most single-season) and Ryan Daniels hit 18. Both Minick and Daniels eclipsed 70 RBI seasons. Daniels was selected in the 11th Round of the 2025 MLB Draft by the Minnesota Twins.

During the 2024 season, the Huskies won the NCAA Norman Regional to advance to the program's third Super Regional. Five position players (Korey Morton, Luke Broadhurst, Matt Garbowski, Maddix Dalena and Bryan Padilla) earned All-BIG EAST honors en route to a fourth-straight BIG EAST regular season championship. Korey Morton signed a free agent contract with the Houston Astros after graduating in 2024.

Dominic Freeberger won BIG EAST Player of the Year in 2023 with the Huskies winning their third-straight BIG EAST regular season title and advanced to the program's fifth-straight NCAA Tournament. David Smith earned Second Team College Baseball Foundation All-American status and was drafted in the 14th Round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers. Five Huskies landed on the All-BIG EAST team (Freeberger, Smith, Ben Huber, Jake Studley and Luke Broadhurst).

In 2022, the Huskies had five players earn All-Conference status with Stock, Korey Morton and Matt Donlan taking First Team honors while Casey Dana and David Smith landed on the second team. Under Hourigan, the Huskies won both the 2022 BIG EAST regular season and tournament championships and advanced to the Super Regionals for the first time under him. UConn scored the second most runs in a single-season with 528, hit. 300 as a team for the second-straight season, led the nation with 166 doubles, which set a program record, and tied the program record with 83 home runs in a single-season. All those marks helped the Huskies set a program and New England record with 50 wins in a season.

In 2021, Kyler Fedko took home BIG EAST Player of the Year honors while five position players made the BIG EAST All-Conference team (Fedko (First Team), C. Winkel (First Team, Erik Stock (First Team), Pat Winkel (Second Team) and Reggie Crawford (Second Team). En route to winning the BIG EAST regular season and tournament championships and the UCon coaching staff earning BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year, the UConn offense led the BIG EAST in batting average (.300), runs scored (384), hits (511), slugging (.476), on-base percentage (.386), doubles (106), home runs (62), and total bases (827).

During the 2019 season, the Huskies scored the third most runs in The American with 369. The 2019 offense set a program-record and led The American with 294 walks including Christian Fedko leading the league with 46. John Toppa and Anthony Prato both reached the 200-hit mark for their careers becoming the 20th adn 21st Huskies to accomplish the feat. The Huskies scored 37 runs in the NCAA Oklahoma City Regional, the second most they've scored in a single NCAA Tournament. (2011, 50 Runs). The 7.4 average runs per game was the most UConn has produced in a single NCAA Tournament.

Anthony Prato earned First Team All-Conference status while John Toppa, Mike Woodworth and Christian Fedko landed on the second team. Prato was drafted in the 7th Round by the Minnesota Twins and Mike Woodworth was selected in the 29th Round by the Oakland Athletics

In 2018, four players hit over .300 with Zac Susi (.335), Troy Stefanski (.326), Anthony Prato (.324) and Mike Woodworth (.302) eclipsing the mark. Isaac Feldstein earned First Team All-Conference honors, Susi landed on the second team and Christian Fedko was named the American Conference Rookie Position Player of the Year. In the 2018 MLB Draft, Susi was drafted in the 12th Round by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

During the 2017 season, junior third baseman Willy Yahn became the 19^th Husky to collect 200 hits for his career. The Huskies placed two position players on the All-Conference team with Yahn and Anthony Prato getting second-team All-Conference nods.

In 2016, UConn won its first American Athletic Conference crown with Hourigan leading the UConn offense to the top of the conference in multiple offensive categories. The Huskies ranked first in runs scored (388), doubles (108) and walks (261). Joe DeRoche-Duffin was selected the Conference Player of the Year, while four other position players earned All-Conference honors; Willy Yahn, Bobby Melley, Bryan Daniello and Jack Sundberg. Individually, Willy Yahn was first in The American in hits (88), doubles (20), DeRoche-Duffin's cranked a conference-leading 17 HR's and Bobby Melley and Jack Sundberg tied for the top spot in the conference with 53 runs scored.

In 2015, the UConn posted a slash line of .288/.388/.416 to aid in scoring a conference-leading 6.5 runs per game. The UConn offense sent five to All-Conference teams and Vinny Siena followed Bobby Melley in 2014 to give the Huskies back-to-back NEIBA New England Player of the Year winners. The Huskies also had three hitters (Blake Davey, Joe DeRoche-Duffin and Siena) earn ABCA All-Region honors.

While working at New Haven for head coach Raphael Cerrato (now head coach at Rhode Island), Hourigan helped guide the Chargers to an East Coast Conference regular season championship (2008), an NCAA Regional berth (2010), and led the pitching staff to an ERA of 2.90 that was the second best mark in the country during the 2010 season.

Prior to his coaching career at New Haven, Hourigan was a student assistant coach for UConn during the 2006 season, working closely with the first basemen and pitchers. He split his collegiate playing career between Clemson and Connecticut, playing for the Tigers during the 2002 and 2003 seasons and was part of the Husky lineup during the 2004 and 2005 seasons. In 2002, he competed in the College World Series as a part of a Clemson team that finished third nationally. As a senior, Hourigan was named team captain and went on to earn second team All-BIG EAST and team MVP honors. At Clemson, he earned honorable mention Freshman All-American.

Between Clemson and Connecticut, Hourigan played in 185 games and batted .303 for his career. He scored 104 runs, drove in 129 and belted 25 home runs. At UConn alone, he hit .333 with 17 home runs in 90 games. On the mound, he recorded a 10-8 record in 21 starts for the Huskies and struck out 103 batters in 136.1 innings pitched.

Entering college, Hourigan was named the 2001 Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year, while playing at Masuk High School in Monroe. He also helped lead Naugatuck Post 17 to the 2001 American Legion State Championship.

Hourigan and his wife Connie live in Prospect and have two sons, Jeffrey Jr. and Charlie.