The Man Behind the Curtain: Coach Dez is UConn Baseball’s Unsung Hero
There’s a high probability that if you are from Connecticut, then you know all about P.T. Barnum, the founder of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the iconic American traveling circus company that was a can’t miss attraction whenever it came to a town near you.
For those of us who had the opportunity to attend the show in person, there’s a strong likelihood that we walked away in awe over the theatrics put on by the lions, tigers and elephants. After all, who can forget seeing a 9,000-pound elephant dancing the night away? While all this makes sense, does anyone recall being just as amazed over the performance of the individual leading the act? Probably not.
In a way, that’s kind of how it is like for Chris Podeszwa, the UConn baseball assistant coach who is entering his 19th season on staff. Through his attention to detail and no-nonsense approach, “Coach Dez”, as he is known around Storrs, is the man who ensures those watching from the stands will more than likely witness a solid – if not spectacular – performance from those wearing the Hook C, even if his role comes with little to no fanfare. Unlike a ringmaster, however, Podeszwa is not in the funny business.
“My father taught me to never be satisfied,” Podeszwa said. “I'm not a guy who by nature – I guess I kind of inherited a little bit from my dad – throws out a lot of compliments because I don't think that you should be rewarded for doing what you're supposed to do. You should be rewarded for going above it, for going above and beyond. I think the players know that when they hear a compliment from Coach Dez, it means something.”
While his position is not technically full-time – Podeszwa is a special education teacher at Montville High School – ask anyone who played for him and they will tell you he doesn’t approach his part-time job like it is second fiddle to his teaching responsibilities. Once he’s on campus, Podeszwa brings a level of intensity that would certainly elicit praise from New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.
Podeszwa (pronounced Puh-DEZ-wuh) credits his father for shaping him into the man, coach and father he is today. He was taught that hard work – to borrow a Belichickism – takes “no days off.” Especially when it came to baseball, his dad instilled in him that if he wasn’t giving it his all, then someone else was gaining on him. This philosophy is something he abides by still to this day and it has certainly served him – and the UConn baseball program by extension – quite well over the years.
Given how important he has been to UConn’s rise as a baseball powerhouse, first as a player under Andy Baylock and now coaching alongside his best friend Jim Penders, it’s hard to imagine a world in which Podeszwa wasn’t involved with the program in some capacity. If the stars didn’t align the way they did, he very well may have never even stepped foot in Storrs.
Podeszwa has always approached baseball with the same fire and intensity that he is known for today. He has never been afraid of confrontation, even if it meant confronting his own coach because he feels baseball is a privilege, not a right. He has no tolerance for passiveness or laziness and he isn’t afraid to call out anyone on the field who demonstrates those characteristics.
For some, his directness and matter-of-factness may take some getting used to but you’re not going to find one person who played with or was coached by Podeszwa who doesn’t adore him because of it. In fact, it made quite the impression on one teammate in particular, so much so that they made a pact … that ultimately will go down as one of the most important agreements in UConn baseball history.
As told by Podeszwa, “I remember Jim [Penders] and I were sitting on the bench during my sophomore year and his freshman year. I was being pretty self-critical and second-guessing coach Baylock and everything that he's doing because that's kind of my nature. Jim looks over at me and says, ‘Hey Dez, when you become a head coach someday, make sure you hire me.’ And I looked over at him and said, ‘Hey Jim, just make sure you return the same favor.’ And in 2004, when Jim got the head coaching job, he gave me a call and said, ‘Remember what I promised you back in 1991? Well, I'm giving you the call.’ So, we've been together ever since.”
The Dynamic Duo
The bond Podeszwa and Penders developed didn’t first begin at UConn. Their relationship goes back farther than that, to their time competing against one another in high school and in American Legion. It was in those matchups that the two of them came to respect the other and where the start of this now over 30-year friendship started.
At first sight, it might be hard to see why Podeszwa and Penders clicked. They are polar opposites. Podeszwa’s as fiery and intense as they come, while Penders is more relaxed and down to earth. But, it works because even though they may approach the game differently, they both want the same thing: to win and develop each player for the next level.
Watching the two of them on game days does kind of resemble a circus act in some kind of way. There is the emotional Podeszwa, who wears it on his face when a player commits one of his cardinal sins – a mental mistake, and then there is the even-keeled Penders, who shows nothing and is ready to move on to the next play.
There are times when Podeszwa wishes Penders would match his intensity level in the dugout but he understands that’s not who Penders is. If Penders suddenly started acting like someone who just downed a 5-hour ENERGY before games rather than a cup of chamomile tea, Podeszwa knows the players would see right through it.
“Because I'm an emotional guy, sometimes I’d like to see him be more emotional at times,” Podeszwa said. “But that’s just not who Jim is. The most important thing you have to learn as a coach, whether it be head or assistant, is you have to be yourself, otherwise, the players will see right through you. With Jim, he is someone who is 72 degrees all the time, no matter what. And I think that’s one of the reasons he has been so successful.”
They may have different coaching styles but it’s hard to argue with the results. Even though Podeszwa doesn’t do it full-time, he has been riding shotgun for all 606 of Penders’ wins. Nor has Podeszwa, who coaches first base and primarily focuses on the instruction of infielders and hitters, missed any of the Huskies’ seven NCAA Tournament appearances during his time on staff.
“We just play off each other really, really well,” Podeszwa added. “Whereas Jim never gets angry and has that calm demeanor about him, I'm a pretty intense individual and I think I bring that intensity and an aptitude perspective. And in those huddles after games where Jim likes to talk, I don’t say anything. The two of us – and I would add [pitching coach] Josh [MacDonald] and [hitting coach] Jeff [Hourigan] who are both awesome guys and great and tireless at what they do – just have a dynamic that works.”
Working Overtime
While Podeszwa is an emotional person it’s kind of tough to get him to open up. If you’re hoping to have an in-depth conversation about him and his interests outside of baseball, it’s probably not going to happen. But there is a cheat code you can use to get him to do so. All you have to do is ask him what UConn means to him and the floodgates open.
The love Podeszwa has for the university that has given him so much is immeasurable. Outside of his wife, Isabella, who he met at UConn and his three children, the oldest of which is currently a senior at the school, where she stars on the track team and baseball, there’s nothing that holds a bigger piece of his heart than the University of Connecticut.
It’s why, for the last 19 years, Podeszwa has never once minded making the daily approximately one-hour commute from his home in Waterford to Storrs. Keep in mind, this all comes after he works an eight-hour school day and has to race – within the speed limit of course – to get to Elliot Ballpark in time for practice or games to begin.
“There are some days when the ride could be a little tedious but for the most part it gives me a good opportunity to transition between my three jobs,” Podeszwa said. “When I leave my teaching duties and responsibilities behind, it gives me time to focus on what I'm going to do when I get to Storrs and work with the guys up there. And then the ride between Storrs and back home to Waterford, it gives me time to kind of like flush that and prepare to be a husband and a dad again.”
Unlike the rest of the coaching staff who is on campus all the time and can interact with players any time of day, Podeszwa doesn’t have that luxury. He has to make the most of the few hours he spends on campus. And his personality is very helpful in allowing him to do that.
Podeszwa is not someone who is going to get caught up in side conversations or engage in pleasantries upon his arrival. When he steps between the lines, he is straight to the point, ready to work. Anything non-baseball-related can be dealt with at a later point. While he may be sympathetic to a player who is having a bad day, he doesn’t want to hear about it when he is in uniform.
While Podeszwa may have to work a little harder because he has less time to work with his players, in the almost 20 years he has been doing this, he has never felt like they hold it against him for not being around full-time. If anything, they respect him even more for his commitment to the program and willingness to sacrifice time with his family in order to be there for them.
“Not once have I felt like it’s been harder for me to earn their respect than maybe Jim, Josh, or Jeff,” Podeszwa said. “Yes, I'm only there for practice where the other coaches can be in the office and guys can come in and talk to them whenever they want, but it’s your job as a coach to find out what makes these guys tick and how to motivate them. But I don't feel there's any less respect, that's for sure.”
A J-Olt of Power
The thing about Podeszwa is he has such a chip on his shoulder that he probably wouldn’t fit in anywhere else in the country. Even with all of the success he has experienced so far while wearing a baseball uniform, he believes there is so much more to come.
He points to the program’s rise as something he is most proud of, but it bothers him that it doesn’t get talked about in the same light as some of the other ones that have been just as – if not less – successful. And he won’t stop until he believes UConn baseball gets the respect it deserves. Who wouldn’t want to play for someone like that?
“We have a little bit tougher of a road to get to Omaha here in the northeast, which is why nobody from here has been there the last 30 years,” Podeszwa said. “But we’re coming. We have created the perennial power in the northeast, where guys from the area no longer have to go down south in order to get a great college experience and become a first-rounder someday.”
Podeszwa cites former Huskies standout Mike Olt, the first of four first-round draft picks in the Penders era, as the one who really jumpstarted the program’s rise. Olt’s success at UConn set off a chain reaction of sorts, where the top kids from New England and the Tri-State Area started committing in droves.
First, it was Connecticut’s own George Springer and Matt Barnes. Then, it was Massachusetts’s Nick Ahmed and Scott Oberg. New York’s Anthony Kay saw what was happening in Storrs and signed on as well. Eventually, it led to Pennsylvania, the state that produced phenom Reggie Crawford and the Fedko brothers.
“When Jim and I first took over, it was hard to keep talented kids in Connecticut,” Podeszwa said. “But look at us now. Jim has been a huge part of that, obviously. He does a fantastic job as the leader of this program, creating that image and building this program into what it is today.”
As the 2022 season kicks off this Friday, you can be sure that as long as Chris Podeszwa is on staff, the team will be playing with fire. Now let’s sit back and enjoy the show.
