Jonathan Hadra

Jonathan Hadra enters his second season with Old Dominion in 2024.

A four-year letterman and 2004 VMI graduate, he served as the head coach for eight years at his alma mater recording 147 wins in his tenure.

The 2023 season marked ODU's return to the Sun Belt as the Monarchs finished 32-23 overall and 15-15 in league play. The team went 12-1 to open the season as Jake Ticer and Hunter Fitz-Gerald were named Collegiate Baseball National Players of the Week on February 20 and March 6, respectively. Fitz-Gerald was also named the Sun Belt Player of the Week (Feb. 28), added All-Sun Belt First Team honors after finishing 23rd nationally with 22 home runs, was a Dick Howser Trophy semifinalist, and signed with the Seattle Mariners in July. The Monarchs became the first team to hit 100+ home runs in three straight seasons since the start of the BBCOR era in 2011. ODU finished the season ranked first in the Sun Belt in triples per game (0.33) and second in the league in home runs per game (1.82), scoring (7.8 runs per game) and slugging percentage (.515).

Hadra was named the 20th head coach in VMI baseball history on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014. He had served as associate head coach for the Keydets previously and was the acting head coach for 10 days following the resignation of Marlin Ikenberry. 
 
Hadra, the 2010 SE Baseball Assistant Coach of the Year, spent seven seasons as an assistant coach when he rose from assistant to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2014 season. He worked with the infielders and hitters during the majority of that time, as well as serving as the program's recruiting coordinator since 2011.

Of VMI's five alumni that played in the big leagues, Hadra coached and recruited four of them: Cory Spangenberg, Reed Garrett, Josh Winder and Ethan Eaton. He coached the only conference Player of the Year in program history as Rob Dickinson earned the honor in 2013. Hadra also recruited and coached VMI's only State Player of the Year and a Third Team All-American selection in Matt Pita. Other highlights include Matt Winn being named a Johnny Bench Award finalist and becoming the first position player in program history to be named an All-American. Hadra's 2016 squad saw the team finish ninth nationally in home runs despite 69 percent of the team's at-bats taken by freshmen and sophomores. That year also saw VMI finish in the Top 40 nationally in slugging percentage (28th), doubles (18th) and walks (39th). Hadra was also instrumental in the program's 2010 success that saw the Keydets earn their second-ever national ranking.
 
Prior to VMI, Hadra spent three years as an assistant at Western Kentucky under Finwood. He was part of a run that saw three of VMI's last four head coaches have ties as a coach or player to Finwood. 
 
At WKU, Hadra oversaw outfield instruction, base running and bunting while coaching first base. In 2008, the Hilltoppers were picked seventh in the league's preseason poll and made just the third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history after capturing the conference tournament championship. Also that season, the WKU defense ranked third in the nation with a .976 team fielding percentage. 
 
As a cadet, Hadra was a four-year letterman who graduated with a degree in Economics and Business. Hadra served as team captain his senior year and helped the Keydets break the school record for wins during his junior season. His sophomore season, meanwhile, saw VMI finish with a 16-14 mark in the Southern Conference, breaking the program standard for most conference wins.
 
Hadra is married to the former Allison Toth, and the couple has three children, son Colton and daughters Kennedy and Brynlee.