Link Jarrett loses second assistant; pitching coach Chuck Ristano leaves FSU for Navy HC job

That 2022 Notre Dame baseball season must have made a really big impression on college athletics directors.

Even though Florida State Baseball recently concluded the worst season in school history, the Seminoles now will be tasked with replacing both of its top assistant coaches this offseason. Rich Wallace and Chuck Ristano, who were Link Jarrett’s top assistants with the Irish before joining him at FSU, have now both taking head coaching jobs.

Just a few days after Wallace, the Seminoles’ recruiting coordinator, was hired to be head coach at UCF, pitching coach Ristano was named the next head coach at Navy on Saturday.

While neither assistant coach enjoyed much success during their brief stay at FSU, they played major roles in Notre Dame’s historic run to the College World Series in 2022. Now, Jarrett must replace both of them while also piecing together a new-look roster following FSU’s disappointing 23-31 campaign.

Here’s the Navy release on Ristano’s hiring:

A veteran coach with nearly two decades of Division I experience, Chuck Ristano has been named the next head baseball coach at the Naval Academy, Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced Saturday.

Having spent the past 13 seasons as a pitching coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Ristano helped guide Notre Dame to three NCAA Tournaments and a College World Series berth during his 12 years in South Bend before heading to Florida State for the 2023 campaign.

“Coach Ristano has proven to be an extraordinary baseball coach with impressive documented accomplishments for almost two decades,” said Gladchuk. “He has influenced the lives of young men both on and off the field in ways that resonate with and substantiate his respected national reputation.  His endorsements were glowing and, as a players’ coach, he builds relationships on trust, confidence, loyalty and family values. We are excited to welcome Chuck and his family, Lizzy, Jane and CJ, to Annapolis.”

Ristano has been an ace recruiter and coach during his 19-year rise through the Division I level, finding and developing nine conference award winners, 27 All-Americans and 51 all-conference selections. Additionally, Ristano has seen 41 of his student-athletes selected in the Major League Baseball Draft and nine former players reach the MLB.

“I could not be more excited for the opportunity to lead the Navy baseball program,” said Ristano. “The Naval Academy has forever attracted and produced young people of the most outstanding talent and moral fiber who heed the highest calling that our nation knows. I feel in complete personal alignment with the values of the Academy, and it is one of the honors of my lifetime to play a role in the development of our nation’s future leaders. Our team will work daily to live up to the standard of excellence that is built into the culture of the Naval Academy. We will embrace all of what it means to be a Midshipman on the field, on the Yard, and in the community.”

“I am incredibly thankful for Mr. Gladchuk, Deputy Athletic Director Eric Ruden and Paul Kostacopoulous’ faith in me, and I will work every day to reward that faith,” continued Ristano. “From a personal perspective, the thought of watching my children learn, grow, and look up to these wonderful young men and women is a dream come true. My family and I cannot wait to get to Annapolis and formally join the Naval Academy family. Go Navy! Beat Army!”

While coaching at FSU, with the Seminoles, Ristano guided Jackson Baumeister to All-ACC honors, as the sophomore struck out the third-most batters in the ACC (95) and tallied 12.39 strikeouts per nine innings to rank 18th nationally. In addition to directing and managing the pitching staff, Ristano was involved with all phases of Florida State’s roster management, recruiting, player development, technology integration and academics, while serving as the program’s liaison with MLB scouts and scouting directors.

Ristano’s 12-year tenure on the Notre Dame staff produced 17 MLB Draft picks on the mound, 13 all-conference pitchers and eight seasons with an earned run average under 4.00. Most impressive were Ristano’s last three seasons on staff in South Bend, as the Fighting Irish had the second-best winning percentage nationally between 2020-22 (86-32, .729) and appeared in back-to-back NCAA Super Regionals for the first time in program history (2021, 2022).

The 2022 season was a historic one for Ristano and the Irish, as Notre Dame reached the College World Series for the third time in school history en route to a 41-win season. Individually, left-hander John Michael Bertrand was named a unanimous All-American in addition to his second-straight All-ACC First Team selection, while Jack Findlay earned a Freshman All-American nod.

Ristano’s 2022 pitching staff was also one of the best in the nation statistically, leading the ACC and ranking 10th in the nation in both ERA (3.91) and hits allowed per nine innings (7.77), while the team’s 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings ranked eighth nationally and the Irish’s 615 set a school record.

The 2021 Irish pitching staff also ranked as one of the best in the ACC on the way to the program’s first Super Regional appearance since 2002. Finishing third in the ACC with a 3.95 team ERA, Notre Dame had three pitchers among the Top-10 conference ERA leaders, while Bertrand and Tanner Kohlhepp both earned all-conference selections.

Prior to Notre Dame, Ristano served as Temple’s pitching coach during the 2010 season and spent four seasons (2006-2009) on the coaching staff at Monmouth. During his time on the Monmouth staff, Ristano helped the Hawks claim back-to-back Northeast Conference regular-season titles (2007, 2008) and win the NEC Tournament in both 2007 and 2009. Under Ristano, Three Monmouth pitchers were drafted and eight signed professional contracts, including 2007 NEC Pitcher of the Year and future MLB reliever Brad Brach.

A native of Valley Stream, N.Y., Ristano began his coaching career at his alma mater, Sacred Heart, helping the Pioneers to the program’s first NEC Tournament appearance in 2005.

Outside of his college coaching experience, Ristano has also served as a pitching coach and manager for the 2019 and 2022 USA Baseball 16U/17U National Team Development Program, a program that identifies, evaluates, coaches and selects the most elite players in the country for eventual placement on the 18U National Team.

Additionally, during the 2021 MLB Home Run Derby, Ristano was the pitcher for former Baltimore Oriole and Notre Dame star Trey Mancini, with Mancini finishing as the runner-up in the midsummer event.

A four-year letterwinner for the Sacred Heart baseball team, Ristano was also a two-time captain and four-time NEC All-Academic honoree for the Pioneers. Graduating from SHU in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in sports management, Ristano then earned a master’s degree in sports management from Liberty University in 2018.

Ristano and his wife, Lizzy – a 17-year member of the Notre Dame softball coaching staff – have a daughter, Jane, and son, CJ.

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