Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Head Baseball Coach
Dr. Patrick McGaha is in his 18th year as the head coach of the Harding baseball team. He has a 472-374 record in his first 17 seasons and has led the Bisons to 11 conference tournament appearances and its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
McGaha is the longest tenured coach in the Great American Conference and ranks in the top 50 in career victories among active NCAA Division II coaches.
McGaha has coached more games (846) and has more wins (472) than any other Harding baseball coach. He became the winningest baseball coach in program history in 2016 when his Bisons defeated St. Edward's 5-1 in the second game of the series.
During his time at Harding, McGaha's student-athletes have received 64 all-conference, 11 all-region, and three all-America honors. Additionally, McGaha's players have 107 academic all-conference, 11 CoSIDA Academic All-District and four CoSIDA Academic All-America awards.
Harding is one of only eight D-II schools to earn the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award seven consecutive seasons, and Harding has won the GAC Sportsmanship Award six of the last nine seasons. In addition, McGaha's players have earned two GAC Freshman of the Year honors, two GAC Newcomer of the Year honors, one GAC Pitcher of the Year honor, one GAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year honor, 11 GAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete honors and two GAC Elite Scholar Athlete honors.
In 2022, Harding won a school-record 21 conference games and finished third in the GAC, its highest conference finish since 2015.
In 2020, the Bisons were off to a promising 18-6 start to the season before COVID-19 forced the cancelation of the season. McGaha picked up his 400th victory at Harding with a 5-2 win against Mississippi College in the opening series of the season.
In 2019, McGaha earned his 500th career collegiate coaching victory, had his fourth 30-win season at Harding and led the Bisons to the championship game of the Great American Conference Tournament.
In 2015, Harding's Jerry Moore Field received the ABCA College Field Maintenance Award for NCAA Division II.
Over the last eight seasons, McGaha's teams have been outstanding defensively not fielding below a .969 fielding percentage while placing in the top 25 in Division II in fielding percentage all eight seasons, including 2015, when Harding led Division II with a .977 percentage, and 2019 when Harding placed third, again with a .977 percentage. Additionally, following the 2021 season, senior Connor Kelly was awarded the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove recognizing him as the best shortstop in all of NCAA Division II.
In 2011, McGaha led Harding to its best season in program history. Harding set a school wins record with a 42-14 mark. The Bisons won their first Gulf South Conference West Division title and their first conference championship in baseball since 1984. Following the regular season, Harding received its first-ever at-large bid into the NCAA II Baseball Tournament. The Bisons beat Tampa in their first game at the national tournament and finished the season ranked 24th nationally.
McGaha won the 2011 GSC West Division Coach of the Year award.
In 2009, Harding recorded its fourth 30-win season and second under McGaha, going 32-25 and collecting its first GSC Tournament victory since 2002. At 12-9 in GSC West play, Harding also had its first winning season in conference action since going 14-9 in 2002.
In 2007, McGaha’s Bisons tied a school record with 34 wins.
Prior to coming back to Harding, McGaha spent four seasons at College of the Ozarks, where McGaha revitalized the baseball program which went 11-39 prior to his arrival in 2002. In 2005, he directed the Bobcats to a school-record 37 victories, a championship in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament, and a berth in the NAIA National Tournament. The championship and tournament appearance were both firsts for College of the Ozarks.
McGaha compiled a 119-96-1 record at Ozarks, achieving consecutive 30-win seasons for only the second time in school history.
Before his stay at Ozarks, McGaha spent one year at Pepperdine University. From 1993-97, he coached at Central Arkansas Christian in North Little Rock, Ark., winning a pair of state championships in 1994 and 1995.
McGaha lettered four seasons as an infielder on the Bison baseball squad under coaches Dick Johnson and Steve Smith.
McGaha earned his bachelor’s degree from Harding in Physical Education in December of 1991. He received his master’s degree in Education at Harding in 1995 and earned a Ph.D. in Sports Pedagogy from Florida State University in 2000.
McGaha is married to the former Sarah Folkerts, a 1993 Harding graduate. The couple has two sons, Connor and Ryan.
McGaha's Coaching Record
591-470-1 in his 21-year collegiate coaching career
472-374 in 17 seasons at Harding
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About Patrick McGaha, Ph.D.
Dr. Patrick McGaha is in his 18th year as the head coach of the Harding baseball team. He has a 472-374 record in his first 17 seasons and has led the Bisons to 11 conference tournament appearances and its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
McGaha is the longest tenured coach in the Great American Conference and ranks in the top 50 in career victories among active NCAA Division II coaches.
McGaha has coached more games (846) and has more wins (472) than any other Harding baseball coach. He became the winningest baseball coach in program history in 2016 when his Bisons defeated St. Edward's 5-1 in the second game of the series.
During his time at Harding, McGaha's student-athletes have received 64 all-conference, 11 all-region, and three all-America honors. Additionally, McGaha's players have 107 academic all-conference, 11 CoSIDA Academic All-District and four CoSIDA Academic All-America awards.
Harding is one of only eight D-II schools to earn the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award seven consecutive seasons, and Harding has won the GAC Sportsmanship Award six of the last nine seasons. In addition, McGaha's players have earned two GAC Freshman of the Year honors, two GAC Newcomer of the Year honors, one GAC Pitcher of the Year honor, one GAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year honor, 11 GAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete honors and two GAC Elite Scholar Athlete honors.
In 2022, Harding won a school-record 21 conference games and finished third in the GAC, its highest conference finish since 2015.
In 2020, the Bisons were off to a promising 18-6 start to the season before COVID-19 forced the cancelation of the season. McGaha picked up his 400th victory at Harding with a 5-2 win against Mississippi College in the opening series of the season.
In 2019, McGaha earned his 500th career collegiate coaching victory, had his fourth 30-win season at Harding and led the Bisons to the championship game of the Great American Conference Tournament.
In 2015, Harding's Jerry Moore Field received the ABCA College Field Maintenance Award for NCAA Division II.
Over the last eight seasons, McGaha's teams have been outstanding defensively not fielding below a .969 fielding percentage while placing in the top 25 in Division II in fielding percentage all eight seasons, including 2015, when Harding led Division II with a .977 percentage, and 2019 when Harding placed third, again with a .977 percentage. Additionally, following the 2021 season, senior Connor Kelly was awarded the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove recognizing him as the best shortstop in all of NCAA Division II.
In 2011, McGaha led Harding to its best season in program history. Harding set a school wins record with a 42-14 mark. The Bisons won their first Gulf South Conference West Division title and their first conference championship in baseball since 1984. Following the regular season, Harding received its first-ever at-large bid into the NCAA II Baseball Tournament. The Bisons beat Tampa in their first game at the national tournament and finished the season ranked 24th nationally.
McGaha won the 2011 GSC West Division Coach of the Year award.
In 2009, Harding recorded its fourth 30-win season and second under McGaha, going 32-25 and collecting its first GSC Tournament victory since 2002. At 12-9 in GSC West play, Harding also had its first winning season in conference action since going 14-9 in 2002.
In 2007, McGaha’s Bisons tied a school record with 34 wins.
Prior to coming back to Harding, McGaha spent four seasons at College of the Ozarks, where McGaha revitalized the baseball program which went 11-39 prior to his arrival in 2002. In 2005, he directed the Bobcats to a school-record 37 victories, a championship in the Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament, and a berth in the NAIA National Tournament. The championship and tournament appearance were both firsts for College of the Ozarks.
McGaha compiled a 119-96-1 record at Ozarks, achieving consecutive 30-win seasons for only the second time in school history.
Before his stay at Ozarks, McGaha spent one year at Pepperdine University. From 1993-97, he coached at Central Arkansas Christian in North Little Rock, Ark., winning a pair of state championships in 1994 and 1995.
McGaha lettered four seasons as an infielder on the Bison baseball squad under coaches Dick Johnson and Steve Smith.
McGaha earned his bachelor’s degree from Harding in Physical Education in December of 1991. He received his master’s degree in Education at Harding in 1995 and earned a Ph.D. in Sports Pedagogy from Florida State University in 2000.
McGaha is married to the former Sarah Folkerts, a 1993 Harding graduate. The couple has two sons, Connor and Ryan.
McGaha's Coaching Record
591-470-1 in his 21-year collegiate coaching career
472-374 in 17 seasons at Harding
| Present | Associate Professor of Kinesiology and Head Baseball Coach, Harding University ‐ Department of Kinesiology | |
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Disciplines
Research Interests
| 1997 - 2000 | PhD, Florida State University ‐ College of Education | |
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| 1993 - 1995 | MEd, Harding University ‐ Department of Kinesiology | |
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| 1988 - 1991 | BA, Harding University ‐ Department of Kinesiology | |
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Contact Information
(501) 279-4344
Email:
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