The men's baseball and women's tennis teams both named new assistant coaches yesterday. Craig Najarian, a 1995 graduate of Saint Anselm College and the head assistant coach there until 1998, will become the third member of the baseball team's coaching staff. The new women's tennis coach is Jeff Anderson, who joins the staff in his first year after graduating from Hobart College.
The baseball team also promoted Chris Dotolo to a position as the top assistant coach, according to manager Bob Whalen.
Najarian will be "most likely working with our outfielders and with our hitters," Whalen said.
At Saint Anselm, Najarian started for four years in the Saints' infield and was team captain his senior season. Najarian graduated four years ago with a degree in sociology, having made the Dean's List.
Najarian spent last four year as an assistant coach at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass. He coached the infielders and hitters and helped in recruiting athletes to the school.
Najarian also has coaching experience from several years as the head coach of the American Legion team in Westborough, Mass. and as an instructor for Ballplayers, Inc., a private baseball camp in Ashland, Mass.
"He was highly qualified and deserving," Whalen said.
Tennis coach Anderson was a varsity hockey player before he graduated from Hobart with a psychology major and education minor last spring. The Hanover native has been the head assistant tennis professional at the Quechee Club in Queechee, VT., since 1995.
Both teams can begin official practices Monday, Feb. 1. Neither team will open its regular seasons before the end of Winter term.
The baseball team will play its first real games over spring break in Florida at the Homestead Challenge from March 17-27. Their Ivy League schedule begins the weekend of April 2 with a road trip to Columbia where they will face former coach Mik Aoki, the new Lions skipper.
Whalen's club comes off a 23-18 record, the highest win total in Dartmouth baseball history.
