Brandon Hennessey begins his first season as the interim head baseball coach at Young Harris College after spending last year as an assistant for the Mountain Lions.
Hennessey came to the Enchanted Valley after spending the past two seasons at University of Texas-Pan American (now the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley).
During his two-year stay with the Broncos, he lowered the inherited pitching staff earned run average from 4.25 to 3.84 in 2014 – the lowest in UTPA history since 1992. UTPA finished the season 10th in NCAA Division I with a starting rotation ERA of 2.27 during 2014. The Broncos, who finished in second place in the Western Athletic Conference in 2014, finished second in the league in ERA. During the 2014 season, Hennessey tutored starter Sam Street, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Street, who was named the 2014 WAC Pitcher of the Year, finished the season tied for first in the NCAA in wins (12), complete games (11), and 25th nationally with an ERA of 1.81. Street was a top-15 finalist for the NCAA Division I 2014 National Pitcher of the Year while being named Louisville Slugger 2nd Team All-American.
Prior to UTPA, he served as the assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Reinhardt University in 2012-13, with his on field duties being the development of the pitching staff. In just one year under Hennessey, the Reinhardt pitching staff lowered its team ERA from 6.08 to 4.23, the lowest in the program history. Reinhardt pitchers also lowered their walks by 70 and lowered their batting average against by over 30 points.
As a collegiate player at San Jose State University from 2005-08, when it was a member of the WAC, the right-handed Hennessey went 10-6 with one save in 67 games (15 starts). He struck out 89 while walking 40 in 158 innings. During the summer after his junior season in 2007, Hennessey pitched in the Northwoods League for the Waterloo Bucks, where he compiled an ERA of 1.97 in 27 appearances. He also served as the team representative to San Jose State’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.
After his playing career came to an end, Hennessey moved into the collegiate coaching ranks, first at Gavilan Junior College in 2009 where he served as the pitching coach. While with the Rams, Hennessey’s pitching staff made tremendous strides by lowering its team ERA by over three full runs. Hennessey then spent the summer of 2009 coaching the pitchers in the prestigious Alaskan Baseball League for the Peninsula Oilers. That summer, the Oilers pitching staff led the ABL in team ERA at 2.40.
Hennessey moved on to Cabrillo College in the fall of 2009 to help resurrect the Seahawk program under his former High School Coach Bob Kittle. Hennessey served as his pitching coach/recruiting coordinator for three seasons. Hennessey’s recruiting efforts garnered Cabrillo the largest single season record improvement in the state of California. The Seahawks improved from a 6-30 record to a 23-13 record in just one season and Cabrillo made a California Junior College Postseason Regional for the first time in 10 years. In all at Cabrillo, Hennessey’s pitching staffs led the Coast Conference Pacific Division in ERA in 2011 (3.00) and 2012 (3.18) and earned back-to-back California JuCO Regional appearances for the first time in program history. Cabrillo was ranked as high as No. 12 during Hennessey’s time there.
After the 2012 baseball season, Hennessey accepted the pitching coach position at San Jose State University under head coach Sam Piraro. Hennessey’s stay at San Jose was brief as Piraro announced his retirement two months into his coaching stint with the Spartans.
Hennessey coached 22 pitchers who went on to play at a four-year college as a junior college pitching coach, while tutoring nine pitchers - Shane Carle (Colorado Rockies), Chad Smith (Detroit Tigers (MLB Debut 2014)), Street, Scott Snodgress (Chicago White Sox (MLB Debut 2014)), Kevin Rath (Chicago White Sox), Kyle Barraclough (St. Louis Cardinals (MLB Debut 2015)), Cody Kendall (Texas Rangers), Josh Corrales (Seattle Mariners), and Alex Hensen (Los Angeles Angels).
Hennessey and his wife Suzanne reside in Hayesville, North Carolina.
