Brandon Hennessey enters his 7th season at Emmanuel University in 2024 and his Second as Associate Head Coach, after being promoted in the summer of 2022. A collegiate pitching coach veteran of 16 years, with experience at many different levels including two different stints as a pitching coach at the Division 1 level, and a stint as an NCAA D2 Head Coach. Since coming to Emmanuel in the summer of 2017, the Emmanuel pitching staff has experienced an enormous turn around. Inheriting a pitching staff annually near the bottom of the conference in most statistical categories, the Emmanuel staff has not only grown into one of the most competitive staffs in the Conference Carolinas, but also one of the most competitive in the country. In particular, the 2023 season saw the Emmanuel pitching staff finish in top 50 in the country in team ERA, strike out to walk ratio, Walks allowed, and home runs allowed.
Coach Hennessey came to Emmanuel College after serving the 2017 season as the Interim Head Baseball Coach at fellow NCAA Division 2 program Young Harris College. Before being promoted to Interim Head Coach for the 2017 season, Coach Hennessey served as the pitching coach and coordinated recruiting for the Mountain Lions. As Head Coach at Young Harris in 2017, YHC garnered their most program wins since 2014 and as pitching coach lowered the program ERA by over two full runs. YHC drastically improved after Coach Hennessey stepped into the leadership role of YHC Baseball. The program became competitive and competed for a playoff spot all the way down to the last weekend of the season, something the YHC baseball program had ever done in the NCAA era of the program.
Before arriving at Young Harris College, Coach Hennessey served a two year stint as pitching coach at the NCAA Division 1 level’s University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). During his two-year stay with the Vaqueros, he lowered the inherited pitching staff earned run average from 4.25 to 3.84 in 2014 – the lowest in UTRGV history since 1992. UTRGV finished the season 10th in NCAA Division 1 with a starting rotation ERA of 2.27 during 2014. The Vaqueros, 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 1 2014 National Pitcher of the Year while being named Louisville Slugger 2nd Team All-American. Prior to UTRGV, 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. Coach Hennessey’s early coaching stops include the pitching coach at Gavilan Junior College (2009), summer collegiate experience as the pitching coach of the Peninsula Oilers of the prestigious Alaskan Baseball League (2009), Cabrillo College (2009-2012) and his alma mater Division 1 San Jose State University (2012). Highlights of those stints include: lowering
the Gavilan pitching staff team ERA by over 3 full runs, the Peninsula Oilers leading the ABL with a 2.40 team ERA, and leading the Cabrillo College Seahawks to the largest single season record improvement in the state of California from one year to the next. 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. Coach Hennessey has also helped develop multiple pitchers that have gone on to play professional baseball including 4 pitchers who have gone on to pitch in the Major Leagues. As a collegiate pitcher at NCAA Division 1 San Jose State University from 2004-08, when it was a member of the WAC, Hennessey lettered 4 years serving in multiple roles.
Brandon Hennessey resides in Royston, GA with his wife Suzanne and daughter Savannah.
Professional pitchers developed under Coach Hennessey: Shane Carle (Atlanta Braves) Reached MLB Kyle Barraclough (Miami Marlins) Reached MLB Chad Smith (Detroit Tigers) Reached MLB Scott Snodgress (Chicago White Sox) Reached MLB Kevin Rath (Chicago White Sox) Cody Kendall (Texas Rangers) Josh Corrales (Seattle Mariners) Sam Street (Pittsburg Pirates) Alex Hensen (Los Angeles Angels) One of Coach Hennessey’s former pitchers, Matt Daniels, is currently serving in the front office for the Minnesota Twins as the Pitching Development & Acquisition Specialist Coach Hennessey's Letter of Commitment: In my position as an assistant baseball coach at Emmanuel College; I commit to being an active participant in the lives of my players both on and off the field. I commit to being a guide and mentor for the betterment of each player. I commit to investing in each individual on a personal level and preparing our players to be productive members of society when they leave Emmanuel College. I commit to being a positive personal example for each player through commitment, integrity, and passion.
