Chris O’Neill joined the VCU coaching staff in August of 2024 following three successful seasons as an Assistant Coach and Assistant Recruiting Coordinator at George Washington from 2021-24.
Under O’Neill’s direction, George Washington’s offense exploded in 2024, rocketing up leaderboards both in the Atlantic 10 Conference and the nation.
In 2024, his third season running the Revolutionaries offense, the team broke the program's single-season record for steals with 136, 10th-most in the country. For the second season in a row, GW's offense racked up more than 100 doubles, 125 to be precise. That total ranks third in school history and was 26th nationally. Under O'Neill's guidance, GW's Sam Gates set at team single-season record with 24 doubles. Overall, the Revs smacked 594 hits on the season; good for fourth all-time and 33rd nationally. GW led the A-10 in hits, doubles, stolen bases and assists. O’Neill also oversaw the development of All-Rookie Team and All-Conference Second Team honoree Robbie Lavey, as well as Second Team selection McGwire Tuffy.
In 2023, George Washington blasted 50 home runs and posted a .432 slugging percentage, the program's highest since 2019. GW baserunners also swiped 55 bags that season, the Revs most since 2018. Overall, GW increased its output in runs, hits, doubles, triples, total bases, and walks while decreasing strikeouts, from 2022. O'Neill's efforts were critical to the success of All-Atlantic 10 Conference First Team pick Michael Kohn, who hit.333 with a team-high 11 home runs and 45 RBI. Kohn would go on to sign with the Idaho Falls Chukars in the Pioneer Baseball League.
Prior to George Washington, O'Neill served as an assistant coach at Duke, where he helped the Blue Devils to the program's first ACC Tournament Championship in 2021. Duke later advanced to the NCAA Knoxville Regional.
Prior to Durham, O'Neill served as an assistant coach at Bucknell during the 2020 season, where slugger Chris Cannizzaro was recognized as D1Baseball.com’s Breakout Hitter of the Year in shortened season play. Prior to 2020, O’Neill coached for two years at Marshall, where he worked primarily with the hitters as well as the infield unit. In 2019, O’Neill helped guide the Thundering Herd to its first winning season since 2016, as well as a Conference USA Tournament berth. Marshall ranked second in the league in batting average (.285) and stolen bases (84) that season. O’Neill also saw shortstop Elvis Peralta selected by the Oakland Athletics organization in the 26th round of the 2019 MLB Draft.
Before his stop at Marshall, O’Neill spent one season as an assistant at Maryland Eastern Shore. While at UMES, O’Neill helped the Hawks swipe 86 bases, the most since the 2010 season. The steals also ranked 23rd in Division I that year. The Hawks also qualified for the MEAC Tournament that same season.
Prior to his time in Princess Anne, Md., O’Neill served as the hitting coach/recruiting coordinator at Concordia University Ann Arbor. O’Neill helped the Cardinals improve in hits, runs scored, doubles, triples, RBI, and stolen bases in his first season, while improving once again in his second season. In 2017, the Cardinals posted the most wins in program history, as well as posting a team batting average of .275.
Additionally, O’Neill was the manager for the Grand Lake Mariners in the summer of 2016 and 2017. In his first season, he helped guide the Mariners to the most wins since 2009 while qualifying for the postseason. O’Neill followed up his successful managerial debut with a runner-up finish and 27 wins in 2017. The finals appearance was the first for the Mariners since 2006. He ranks 2nd all-time in wins as the Mariners skipper in their 34-year existence.
O’Neill began his coaching career at Tarboro High School in North Carolina in 2013. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Education from King’s College in 2012. The Pennsylvania native is married to Kate, and the couple has one son, Easton.
