Head Coach Tim Hollibaugh
Head Baseball Coach 1995 - Present
Asst. Football Coach 1995 - Present
Associate Professor Tim Hollibaugh enters his 15th season at the helm of the Pioneer baseball program. A native of Logansport, Ind., Hollibaugh is a graduate of Hanover College with an education endorsement, as well as a double major in physical education and sociology. He also holds a master's degree in physical education with an emphasis in teaching from Indiana State University. At Hanover, he was a two-sport athlete in baseball and football. A middle infielder in college, Hollibaugh captained the team his senior season. During his four years at Hanover, the Panthers were 134-69, winning their first Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference (ICAC) title in 1987. After college, Hollibaugh then started his coaching career at his alma mater as a graduate assistant. The 1992 squad went 42-11 and made the national playoffs. He then spent two years as an assistant at DePauw University. In 1994, the DePauw baseball team became champions of the ICAC going an impressive 26-12. Under Hollibaugh, the Pioneers made two consecutive Midwest Conference Tournament appearances while setting the school record for wins three straight years. In 2006, the Pioneers returned to the tournament for the first time since 2001, and Hollibaugh was named the league's Coach of the Year. In 2000, Jacob Chavez became the first player in Grinnell College history to play professional baseball when he signed a free agent contract with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier league. In 2007, Hollibaugh traveled to Belgium through USA Athletes International where he was an assistant coach on the team which captured third place in the Belgium Open. Hollibaugh is the most successful coach in Grinnell College baseball history with 172 victories during his tenure. He is also an associate professor in the physical education department. During the football season, Hollibaugh is assistant head coach for the Pioneers. He is endorsed through the American Coaches Education Program (ASEP) and Program for Athletic Coaches' Education (PACE). Hollibaugh has also spoken at various clinics and published numerous articles on the game of baseball and recruiting. He and his wife, Alison, have three children: Ryan, Blake, and Lindsey.
Assistant Coach Ben Cooprider
Assistant Baseball Coach 2009 - Present
Ben Cooprider joined the Pioneer coaching staff in the winter of 2009. He attended high school in DeKalb, Ill., and then attended Carleton College where he was a four-year starter in both football and baseball. At Carleton, he played baseball and football under Aaron Rushing, a former Grinnell College coach and 2001 graduate.Cooprider began his coaching career with stints at Pine Crest Prep in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where he coached two unbeaten baseball teams, and The Blake's School in the Twin Cities. He then joined the University of St. Thomas football staff, where he coached tight ends. During that span, he developed a first-team all-conference performer and an offense that ranked 16th nationally in sacks allowed. During that span, Cooprider helped the team turn a team with a 2-8 mark to a 7-3 squad that finished second in the conference.He is currently pursuing a master's degree from Concordia-St. Paul in organizational management with a sports management emphasis.