A long-time Howard High School baseball coach is the new head of AACC Baseball. 

Nick Hoffner, the founder and owner of Leading Home Mortgage in Columbia, said he always wanted to coach college baseball. 

“I think there’s a lot of good baseball players here in and around the county and the surrounding counties,” he explained. “My goal is … to give these … these student athletes … a chance to continue their … athletic and academic careers and build on what they’ve previously done and … continue building on that here in the future.” 

Hoffner previously coached the junior varsity baseball team at Mount Hebron High School in Howard County for two years and served as head coach at Howard High School in Howard County for 10 years before coming to AACC.  

Athletic Director Duane Herr said he hired Hoffner because of his previous successes. 

“As a high school coach, [Hoffner] won state championships [and] built the [Howard High School] program into a very successful, very well–known” team, Herr explained. “He did a great job explaining and describing to us his experience, his strength and his ability to recruit and build a successful program.” 

Herr added: “He is incredibly committed from day one to get out here and make us better. It was a really enjoyable process to get to know him and his skills and welcome him aboard.” 

Herr said the previous head baseball coach, Chris Jenkins, retired last year. 

Hoffner said he believes in hard work. 

“I think if you’re able to do that out here in baseball, I think it transitions … to the classroom,” he explained.  “I think [it] also transfers to later on life as well for … these student athletes … when they start their careers.” 

Some student athletes said they enjoy working with Hoffner. 

Baseball infielder Richard Templeton said Hoffner has a “high baseball IQ.” 

“He knows what to do to make you a better player [and] he knows how to make you be the best player that you can be,” Templeton, a third-year transfer study student, explained.  

First baseman Lennie Lehner agreed. 

“There’s not a lot of standing around,” Lehner, a fourth-year heath and exercise science student, said. “Everything is [done] with intent and with purpose, and he’s very critical … that ‘We’ve gotta do it the right way.’”