Hokie ClubTyler Hanson enters his seventh season on the Virginia Tech baseball coaching staff, having arrived in June 2018 as the Hokies’ volunteer assistant coach. He was elevated to the title of assistant coach, catchers and scouting in June 2022.
In his current role, Hanson specializes in the development of Virginia Tech’s battery, assists with the offense and handles the day-to-day operations of the program’s baseball camps. Before joining the Hokies, he served as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Eastern Kentucky for three seasons (2016-18).
Hanson has assisted in the development of Virginia Tech’s high-caliber offense that has steadily climbed to the top of the national rankings. During their run to the 2022 NCAA Blacksburg Super Regional, the “Hammerin’ Hokies” ranked second among NCAA Division I programs in slugging percentage (.574), largely in part to their mashing of 126 home runs at a clip of 2.14 per game – both top-five marks in the country.
From 2022 to 2024, Hanson helped lead Virginia Tech to three consecutive top-15 finishes in slugging percentage, including the nation’s second highest cumulative mark during those seasons (.554). Additionally, the Hokies’ three-year scoring average of 8.65 runs per game ranked as the fifth highest in the country, as highlighted by three straight top-25 scoring campaigns.
Considering the same stretch of seasons, Hanson contributed to Virginia Tech achieving two top-15 finishes in batting average, three top-20 placements in fielding percentage and three top-30 campaigns in on-base percentage. The Hokies’ three-year average of 1.94 home runs per game – resulting in 322 total home runs – also ranked as the nation’s fifth best clip during that time.
With Hanson on staff, Virginia Tech has become a destination for catchers and has consistently performed among the best pitching staffs in the ACC. Since making his way to Blacksburg, he has placed two catchers onto the Buster Posey National Collegiate Catcher of the Year Award watch list – Carson Taylor (2020) and Cade Hunter (2022) – with Hunter earning national semifinalist recognition in 2022.
Hanson’s work with Hunter was key to Virginia Tech’s historic 2022 season that culminated with the program’s first ACC Coastal Division title and its first NCAA Regional championship. Making all but three of his 57 starts behind the dish, Hunter batted .330 and slugged .637, compiling 14 doubles, 17 home runs and 66 RBIs while catching 11 runners stealing.
In 2020, Hanson mentored Taylor to All-American Third Team status from Collegiate Baseball Newspaper after posting team-leading marks in almost every offensive category, including 13 national placements. Spending two seasons with the Hokies, Taylor batted .332 during 53 of 68 possible collegiate games, pairing 65 hits, 16 doubles, two triples and four home runs along with his .998 career fielding percentage.
Under Hanson’s tutelage, Hunter and Taylor both capped their Virginia Tech careers with selections during the opening five rounds of the MLB Draft. Taylor was taken during the fourth round in 2020 by the Los Angeles Dodgers (No. 130 overall) while Hunter was chosen during the fifth round in 2022 by the Cincinnati Reds (No. 153 overall).
Before arriving in Blacksburg, Hanson logged nine seasons of collegiate coaching experience, making stops at Eastern Kentucky (2016-18), North Carolina Central (2012-15) and Duke (2011). Along the way, he has coached 19 position players to MLB Draft selections, including 12 player picks at Virginia Tech.
At Eastern Kentucky, Hanson was a key developer of catcher Alex Holderbach, who was named one of three finalists for the 2018 Johnny Bench Award (since renamed the Buster Posey Award) and the first to hail from the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC). Holderbach was one of two Dick Howser Trophy semifinalists who played under Hanson during his tenure with the Colonels, following one year after first baseman Ben Fisher (2017).
Hanson’s three seasons at Eastern Kentucky were highlighted by the production of three All-Americans – Ben Fisher (2017), Daniel Harris IV (2018) and Alex Holderbach (2018); two OVC Co-Player of the Year honorees – Mandy Alvarez (2016) and Ben Fisher (2017); and five position players earning a total of six All-OVC selections. He also witnessed two EKU players end the month of May as national statistical leaders: Mandy Alvarez (2016 – 97 hits), Alex Holderbach (2018 – 79 RBIs).
During his final season with EKU, Hanson helped the Colonels rank among the top 40 NCAA Division I programs in 11 offensive categories, most notably in stolen bases (11th – 102), hits (12th – 643), runs (15th – 445) and home runs (18th – 69).
Hanson graduated in 2009 with his bachelor’s degree in business economics from the University of Maine at Farmington, where he was a four-year starter at catcher and two-year captain. He was a two-time North Atlantic all-conference selection, graduated inside the program’s top 10 in career home runs and led the Beavers to two league tournament berths.