On Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the regular board of education meeting, Dan Wolf was approved as varsity baseball head coach beginning Feb. 19, 2023.
On Wednesday, Jan. 24, at the regular board of education meeting, Dan Wolf was approved as varsity baseball head coach beginning Feb. 19, 2023.
Wolf will take over for Greg Bean, who stepped down after leading his team to a 12-8 season last year, 8-4 in the CVC behind Kirtland and Berkshire.
He could return four seniors, including 1st Team All-Conference Troy Domen and Jack Puruczky, who earned Honorable Mention. Logan Strever, Carter Tucker, Chuck Soltis, Matthew Hissa and Austin Jones, who all earned varsity letters a year ago, could also return.
Also returning experience, Assistant Coach Jacob Gotham, who graduated in 2019, played for the Huskies under assistant principal and previous high school teacher Brian George, then later for Seth Klepper. He played one season for the Hilltoppers and attended West Liberty University. He also served as assistant coach last year.
Wolf will enter his 34th season coaching high school baseball. Previous encounters include Mentor, Madison, Willoughby South, and most recently, Fairport Harding. Wolf also has experience at the collegiate level; he coached three years at John Carroll University and one season at Lake Erie College.
A 1987 John Carroll graduate himself, Wolf represented the Blue Streaks in baseball and football during his time as a student and was named co-captain for the baseball team his senior year. He has served as an instructor in the university’s P.E. department for the past 25 years.
“A favorite memory of mine as a player at JCU — which, luckily I was a major part of three conference championships and an appearance to the Div III playoffs — but I will never forget that I am one of only two players in the history of John Carroll baseball to have ever hit into a triple play,” said Wolf, laughing.
In July, Wolf and his wife, Christl, will celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary. The two of them have twin boys, D.J. and Drew, who graduated from Mentor High School in 2019. Christl graduated from the Miami University of Ohio, majoring in geology. The family also has a Border Collie named Darby.
One of Dan’s favorite memories as a coach was when he coached 11-year-old D.J. as his team prepared to play in the championship game within the next couple of days.
“In the semifinal championship game, D.J. was on the mound, bottom of the last inning, (and) he had a 3-2 count with the bases loaded,” Wolf said. “We were up by four runs. He threw his pitch, the batter lines one back at him. He catches the ball, runs to second base, tags two runners, and completes an unassisted triple play to help us win the game. We ended up winning the championship game two days later.”
D.J. went on to play football at Mentor under hall of fame coach Steve Trivisonno. He was a four-year letter winner for the Cardinals, then played defensive back at Case Western Reserve University for five seasons. In his fifth season, D.J. served as a captain and started in all 10 games.
Drew currently resides in Charlottesville, VA, and works with Virginia Energy, where he looks to earn his Master’s in accounting through CWRU’s graduate program.
Drew ran cross country for the Cardinals, a team that’s always middle of the pack for the Greater Cleveland Conference. Following his mom’s lead, he graduated last year with a major in geology from the Miami University of Ohio, where he was also a member of the Striders Running Club.
Wolf is eager to get things started this spring, and appreciates all the other coaches who have played into his baseball career.
“At Cardinal, I hope to keep building on an already proud tradition of competitive baseball teams,” he said. “My goal as a coach, as an educator, and as a person has always been the same: I want to make a difference. I am thrilled to start this new chapter in my life. I look forward to working with the students, the staff, the parents and the community while at Cardinal.”
Likewise, Athletic Director Jimmy Soltis looks forward to Wolf’s influence.
“Our baseball program is very lucky to have gotten someone with the coaching background that Coach Wolf brings with him,” Soltis said. “Coach Wolf is the fourth baseball coach I have hired in the last seven years. He is a hall of fame-caliber coach who will bring a ton of experience and stability to Cardinal. I feel very fortunate to have him here, and with an older team returning, I cannot wait to see what he can do with this group.”
