Chris “Skip” Hanks enters his 28th season as Head Baseball Coach at Colorado Mesa University (CMU). Over his tenure, he has compiled an impressive career record of 1,111-428 (.722) at CMU. Under his leadership the Mavericks have claimed 18 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) championships, earned 21 NCAA Division II tournament appearances, and reached the Division II College World Series four times (2009, 2014, 2017, 2019). Hanks was born in Carbondale, Colorado, played baseball and football at Roaring Fork High School, and attended the College of Southern Idaho where he was a two-time All-American catcher with 48 home runs in his two years. He signed and played four years in the Boston Red Sox organization, followed by one year with the Detroit Tigers organization, before an arm injury ended his playing career.
At CMU he began as an assistant coach (1993-98) before assuming the head coaching role. His teams have consistently been national powerhouses—18 national statistical championships in team hitting since 1999, including the still-standing NCAA Division II record of 190 doubles by the Mavericks in 2004. Off the field, Hanks has developed players who advanced to Major League Baseball organizations (21 drafted) and has sustained outstanding academic results from his teams. He and his wife Nikki have three children: Jared, Kylie and Natalie.
