BOISE, Idaho — Gary Van Tol has been named the head baseball coach at Boise State University, Director of Athletics Curt Apsey announced today.
Van Tol has spent the last 10 seasons in the Chicago Cubs organization, working as a minor league coach both for the Boise Hawks and, most recently, the Eugene Emeralds. During that time, he worked with current big leaguers Kris Bryant, Kyle Schwarber, Willson Contreras, Ian Happ, Albert Almora, Jr., Paul Blackburn, Zack Godley and others, helping develop players and staff in the championship culture of the Chicago Cubs. He also managed local minor league players Andrew Ely (Eagle HS) and Joey Martarano (Fruitland HS).
He will be the first baseball coach for the Broncos since the sport was discontinued in 1980, and has been tabbed to help rebuild the program that will begin play in the 2020 season.
“Gary Van Tol brings extensive experience from both the collegiate and professional levels,” Apsey said. “With that, he understands what it is going to take for our future student-athletes to achieve success both on and off the field. I have known him for the better part of 15 years, and he is very aware of who Boise State is and what we are all about.
“As we set out to bring back the only Division I baseball program in the state of Idaho, we wanted to make sure we hired someone with experience, and someone with a high level of character that could foster relationships throughout the region. Gary checked all the boxes, and I believe he is the perfect individual to place at the helm of this program.”
Van Tol brings to Boise State a wealth of 27 years of baseball coaching experience, 17 collegiately and 10 professionally. A well-respected name in the Boise baseball community, Van Tol managed the short season `A’ Northwest League Boise Hawks to the playoffs, falling to the Vancouver Canadians in the NW League Championship in 2013, and to the eventual NW League Champion, the Hillsboro Hops, in 2014. He has also given back to the local baseball community as the owner and president of the Idaho Cubs, a developmental baseball program for youth baseball players in Idaho.
“There was only one opportunity that could pull me away from my current situation with the Chicago Cubs, and that was to be the head baseball coach at Boise State University,” Van Tol said. “Bringing back baseball had long been talked about as an option for the Broncos, and I am humbled and privileged to be entrusted with leading this program back to life at Boise State. “I am excited for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and can’t wait to start building a program Boise State and Bronco Nation will be proud of.”
Van Tol has extensive coaching experience at the Division I collegiate level, having worked as an assistant coach at Gonzaga University from 2005-08, his second stint at the university after coaching there from 1991-93. During his time in Spokane, Van Tol worked with Mike Redmond, former World Series Champion and manager for the Miami Marlins, and current bench coach for the Colorado Rockies with former Madison High School graduate Clayton Mortensen. He also helped in the recruitment of eventual major leaguers Steve Ames, Cody Martin and Tyler Olson.
Prior to his time at Gonzaga, he was an assistant coach at the University of Portland from 2002-05. While with the Pilots, Van Tol worked with the pitchers, hitters, infielders and coached third base. He was also the recruiting coordinator; worked on player evaluations, scheduling and the strength and conditioning programs; ran camps and clinics; and coordinated alumni and fundraising events. During his time in Portland he coached Kory Casto, who went on to make the big leagues with the Washington Nationals. He also recruited eventual major league players Blaine Hardy, Rocky Gale and Austin Bibens-Dirkx, who currently resides in Meridian.
Van Tol was the head coach at Treasure Valley Community College in Ontario, Ore., from 1996-2001, where he was elevated to the position after spending the 1995-96 season as the associate head coach. During his time at the helm, the Chukars made four NJCAA Regional appearances and 90 percent of his players moved on to four-year colleges or the professional ranks. Among those include 2002 NCAA home run champion Nate Gold, Rick Bauer, a seven-year MLB veteran and former Centennial High School graduate, and current Kansas City Royals pitcher and former World Series Champion with the Chicago Cubs, Jason Hammel. Van Tol’s first head coaching position came at Centralia College in Centralia, Wash., where he led the Trailblazers during the 1995 season.
Van Tol has an extensive resume playing the sport, as he was a two-year letterwinner at Gonzaga University (1988-90), where he earned All-Pac-10 First Team honors and third-team Academic All-America accolades in 1990. He was the first Bulldog to earn Academic All-America honors in program history. Van Tol came to Gonzaga after earning Region 18 Second Team honors at Treasure Valley Community College from 1986-88.
Van Tol also boasts international baseball experience both as a player and a coach, and as a native of Pincher Creek, Alberta, was a member of the Canadian National Team from 1989-91, competing in the 1991 Pan-America Games, the 1990 Goodwill Games and World Championships and the 1989 Presidential Cup. He also won the 1993 Dutch Championship and European Cup Championship as a member of Levis Neptunus in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Then in 1996, he joined the Great Britain National Team as an assistant coach, working with Major League Baseball International.
Van Tol earned his bachelor’s degree in communications from Gonzaga in 1992 and his Master’s of Arts in Administration of Physical Education and Athletics from Gonzaga in 1994. He and his wife Christina have four children – Gehrig, Amaia, Peyton and Gibson.
Van Tol Coaching History
2008-2017 Minor League Coach — Short Season `A’ Northwest League (Boise Hawks/Eugene Emeralds)
2005-2008 Assistant Coach — Gonzaga University
2002-2005 Assistant Coach — University of Portland
1996-2001 Head Baseball Coach — Treasure Valley Community College
1995-1996 Associate Head Baseball Coach — Treasure Valley Community College
1994-1995 Head Baseball Coach — Centralia College
1991-1993 Assistant Baseball Coach — Gonzaga University
