Tim Hollibaugh enters his 29th 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 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 Grinnell College Pioneers have claimed the Midwest Conference South Division title in 2000, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. The 2010 season saw Grinnell become the first team to go unbeaten in divisional play since Monmouth College in 1969.
The 2016 squad set a program record with 30 victories and sported the program's third player to receive All-America honors.
The Pioneers set a then-school record for wins in 2010 with 23 and hosted the MWC Tournament, qualifying for the championship round of the event for the first time ever.
Over the past nine years, the team is 98-51 in conference play and has won 116 games since 2016.
Hollibaugh has been named the MWC South Division Coach of the Year nine times, including 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he collected his milestone 400th career victory with a win over Cornell.
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, serving as assistant coach on the team, which captured third place in the Belgium Open.
Hollibaugh is an associate professor in the physical education department. During the football season, he is assistant head coach for the Pioneers. He is endorsed through the American Sport 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.
