ANNAPOLIS, Md. — For the first time in nearly two decades there is a new head baseball coach at the Naval Academy. He is one that arrives with plenty of experience and has helped develop both past and could-be future Baltimore Orioles.
Chuck Ristano has been on the job for almost a month in Annapolis. The 41-year-old replaced longtime Midshipmen skipper Paul Kostacopoulos, who retired in May after 18 years and as the second-winningest coach in program history. This is Ristano’s first head-coaching gig after 19 years as an assistant at the Division I level.
"It’s incredibly exciting, both having the chance to be a head coach for the first time but also doing it at a place that commands such a high level of respect, and I will give it the respects it deserves," he said.
Ristano was the pitching coach at Florida State last season. Before that he spent a dozen years in the same role at Notre Dame. He takes over a Navy team that went 23-27 this year and tied for second place in the Patriot League.
His philosophy as a now head coach:
"We have to cater our style of play to the strengths of what this institution will attract - elite fundamental baseball, athleticism," he said. "You absolutely need to be strong up the middle - catcher, middle infield, center field and then on the mound."
Ristano has some fairly recent connections to the Orioles. He coached Jackson Baumeister at Florida State. The righty was drafted 63rd overall by the O’s on Sunday. He was also on the coaching staff at Notre Dame when former Oriole Trey Mancini played for the Irish and pitched to the former Birds fan favorite in the 2021 MLB Home Run Derby when Trey advanced to the finals.
"I recount in my brain almost every day how special that was to be in the big league locker room, how special it was to do it with Trey, how thankful I am that he included me and he put on a hell of a show," said Ristano. "That is something that will stick with me - birth of my children, College World Series, me and Trey in the home run derby, that’s a pretty good gold, silver and bronze."
Ristano said being asked by Mancini to be his pitcher in the derby was the greatest gift anyone has ever given him and he’ll wear any Mancini jersey ever made.
After of course his new one that now reads Navy.
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