Chad Oxendine first used playing baseball as an excuse to not work on the tobacco farm as a child. Now, he returns to Longwood as the baseball head coach. After 16 years, he finally gets a chance to prove himself at the helm.
Being a 2004 graduate of Coastal Carolina, he played catcher and was a four-time Big South champion with the Chanticleers. He’s previously coached at Alabama, Coastal Carolina, Longwood, Richmond, UNC Wilmington, and in professional baseball. In his 13 years as an assistant coach at the Division 1 level, he has a record of 373-317-2.
Coach Oxendine believes all of his past experience has helped prepare him for the job. “Being at five different other places, division 1 schools, I had the opportunity to work under some really good head coaches. I feel like especially coach Gilmore, he was my coach at Coastal Carolina when I played there and then working underneath him the last four years. Some of the responsibilities that he gave me, I feel like truly prepared me better for this job to become a head coach,” he said.
Coach Gilmore spoke highly about coach Oxendine whom he coached from 2001-2004 and then worked alongside with coaching. “Coastal Carolina University baseball is extremely happy that Longwood University has chosen a former standout Chanticleer as their next baseball coach.”
Coach Oxendine’s priority for the team is to “build a brotherhood.” He elaborated by articulating that the foundation of a brotherhood is based on love.
“The word love, it’s a thing when you truly care about someone as much as you truly should, you’ll do whatever it takes to not let them down. That’s not only on the field, but off the field as well.”
He described how by building up his players as a team, the wins will come. He hopes to do that with the help of his new assistant coaches. Currently on the roster are assistant coach Brad Mincey and volunteer assistant coach Mickey Beach.
Soon-to-be graduate assistant coach, Seth Lancaster, will also be in the coaching arsenal. He was a player at Coastal Carolina, a part of the national championship team. During his senior year, he hit 20 home runs. Coach Oxendine described him as “a highly talented player.” Recently, he was a volunteer assistant coach at Georgia Southern.
“He’s just a guy that loves the game of baseball. That’s gonna really, truly help the student athletes be better men and be better players and continue to grind every day,” said Coach Oxendine.
Coach Oxendine along with a formidable coaching staff also has a very talented group of players, both on-and-off of the field. 15 baseball players received the Big South Presidential Honor Role for having a 3.0+ GPA.
He discussed how important it is for student athletes to work hard and keep that discipline off the field because that same hard work and discipline transitions over to the field.
Coach Oxendine humbly stated, “I want to obviously thank athletic director Michele Meadows and deputy athletic director Rick Kanter for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. I’m super excited to serve as the leader of the Longwood baseball team.”
