Clay Van Hook is in his fifth season as an assistant coach with the University of Oklahoma baseball program. He joined the Sooners in July 2017 after a six-year stint at Rice.
Van Hook serves as hitting coach, helps create the team’s offensive game plan and works with the infielders. He also coaches third base on game days and assists in coordinating the Sooners’ recruiting efforts.
Van Hook played for head coach Skip Johnson at both Navarro College (2004) and Texas (2007). He transferred to UT from Navarro after his freshman season and spent three years at UT, where Johnson arrived as the pitching coach in 2007. As a sophomore in 2005, Van Hook earned All-Big 12 Second Team and was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2007.
From 2012-17, Van Hook was on the coaching staff at Rice under long-time head coach Wayne Graham. Hired as the volunteer assistant for the 2012 season, Van Hook was moved into a full-time role in 2013 as the Owls’ hitting coach. He also held responsibilities as the team’s recruiting coordinator, infielders’ coach and coached third base on game days.
Van Hook and the Owls made the NCAA Tournament six times in his six-year tenure and went 2-2 in the 2017 Baton Rouge Regional; falling to LSU in the final round. Rice hitters combined for a .293 batting average in 2017, which ranked sixth in Conference USA and 50th in the NCAA. The Owls peaked in the national ranking at 19th with 127 doubles.
Before joining the staff at Rice, Van Hook served as an assistant coach at McNeese State for three seasons from 2009-11. Van Hook earned his degree at Texas in 2008 while serving as a student-coach. He his wife Selina have a daughter Avery Michel and a son Briscoe.
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