Harding University Athletics

At Harding
Dr. Patrick McGaha is in his 20th year as the head coach of the Harding baseball team. He has a 542-412 record in his first 19 seasons and has led the Bisons to 13 conference tournament appearances and two NCAA Tournament berths.

McGaha is the longest tenured coach in the Great American Conference and ranks in the top 30 in career victories among active NCAA Division II coaches.

This year, McGaha becomes the longest tenured coach in baseball program history surpassing Dick Johnson who led the program for 19 seasons (1970 -1988). McGaha has coached more games (954) and has more wins (542) 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 76 all-conference, 13 all-region, and four all-America honors. Additionally, McGaha's players have earned 142 academic all-conference, 17 CoSIDA Academic All-District and five CoSIDA Academic All-America awards.

Harding is one of only six D-II schools to earn the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award all nine years it has been awarded, and Harding has claimed nine of the 11 all-time GAC Baseball Sportsmanship Awards. In addition, McGaha's players have earned three GAC Freshman of the Year honors, two GAC Newcomer of the Year honors, two GAC Pitcher of the Year honors, two Region Pitcher of the Year honors, two GAC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year honors, 11 GAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete honors and three GAC Elite Scholar Athlete honors.

The 2024 Bisons achieved tremendous success, boasting a remarkable 37-19 record, the second-most wins in school history and their third consecutive 30-win season while securing a share of the Great American Conference regular season championship with an impressive 23-10 record. Additionally, for the second time in program history, and the first time since 2011, the Bisons advanced to the NCAA Central Region Tournament. Their excellence was not limited to the field. This team demonstrated exceptional sportsmanship, earning the GAC Sportsmanship Award. They also excelled in the classroom, receiving the American Baseball Coaches Association Team All-Academic Award. Individual accolades abounded, with six Bisons earning All-GAC honors, including All-American Maddox Long receiving GAC Pitcher of the Year honors. And in a testament to the team's commitment to academic excellence, 19 players were recognized as Academic All-GAC.

McGaha's 2023 team went 33-19 overall, one season after the Bisons were 32-19 and set a school record with 21 conference wins.

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 11 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 10 of those seasons, in the top 10 four times and leading Division II with a .977 percentage in 2015. Additionally, the Bisons have led the GAC in fielding percentage six of the past 11 seasons. Two of the past four
seasons Bison players have won the ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove award - following the 2021 season, senior Connor Kelly was recognized as the best shortstop in all of NCAA Division II and following the 2023 season, redshirt freshman Logan Lacey was recognized as the best third baseman 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. The squad finished 8-13 in Gulf South Conference West Division action and was in the playoff hunt until the final game of the season. 

Prior to Harding
Prior to his return 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.

Playing Career
McGaha lettered four seasons as an infielder on the Bison baseball squad under coaches Dick Johnson and Steve Smith.

Education
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
661-508-1 in his 23-year collegiate coaching career

542-412 in 19 seasons at Harding

McGaha's Harding Coaching Record