HCU Baseball Goes all in on Homegrown Talent with Clay VanderLaan as Head Coach
Most young baseball players dream of ending up in the big leagues and playing somewhere like Minute Maid Park — but for Clay VanderLaan, his aspirations were a little bit different.
Getting the opportunity to coach at Houston Christian University? As VanderLaan explained it, that’s a dream come true.
“I knew from a very young age, like, ‘that’s what I want to do for a living.’ To be a Division I head coach, it’s my dream and doing it in your hometown? I mean, I couldn’t ask for anything more,” VanderLaan said.
HCU is going all in on homegrown talent by turning to VanderLaan to lead the Huskies on the diamond and they’ve picked a man who is more than just familiar with life and baseball in the Bayou City. VanderLaan also happens to be pretty familiar with HCU.
When HCU picked VanderLaan to lead, the Huskies got a coach who has served as an assistant with the Huskies for the past three seasons. He knows the program’s strengths and the spaces in which it needs to grow. With HCU propelling into a new chapter of excellence, VanderLaan is looking forward to building on that momentum.
“I’m confident in what we can continue to build together here,” VanderLaan stated. “I know the best is yet to come for both our baseball program and the University.”
And the best way to build a strong college baseball program?
“Look, it starts with recruiting,” VanderLaan chuckled. “There’s no secret formula outside of that. I mean it starts and ends with recruiting.”
And as for the players VanderLaan is looking to bring in, he’s aiming for guys who fit at HCU.
“We’re recruiting a bunch of guys that want to be here, and they want to play college baseball,” VanderLaan explained. “It’s not a job to them. It’s a privilege to them. So, you’re definitely going to see a team that plays hard, see a team that plays with passion.”
It makes sense for a head coach who sees this opportunity as a dream to want players who would have a similar mindset. That should help as he establishes a new team culture at HCU.
“You’ve got to get the right players in here,” he said. “And not just the talent, but it’s got to be the right culture fit because if you don’t have a good culture fit, then it just isn’t sustainable.”
VanderLaan has already demonstrated an ability to do just that. HCU’s newest head coach has shown he can build a program in Houston — just ask the folks over at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. VanderLaan oversaw the Celts’ return to varsity baseball.
With his focus on rebuilding and establishing a healthy team culture, VanderLaan is eager to ensure the team connects with the entire HCU community.
“We need to be more involved with the [Fellowship of Christian Athletes], things like that,” he said. “Once you have visibility on the campus, then the other stuff starts coming, right? And then what happens is our guys get invested in the University. Then they graduate, then they become good alums.”
Oh, and VanderLaan wants a similar connection between his team and the rest of his hometown.
“I want to be more involved in the Houston community,” VanderLaan stated. “Obviously, it’s not like a small college town, right? So, it’s a big city, but still, there are things that we can do to be more visible in the community.”
There’s a unique opportunity for VanderLaan here at HCU. And it’s one he’s thrilled to have.
“It’s a dream come true,” VanderLaan explained.