Covenant Names New Head Baseball Coach

“Finding someone who could carry on the legacy and success of our former Covenant baseball coaches Jeff Burton and Doug Smethurst was certainly a unique challenge. We believe that Chris was worth the wait and are excited to see him take our baseball program to new levels in a very competitive environment. We are extremely thankful for the leadership and effort that Coach Burton put into this program to make it what it is today and we look forward to having Chris continue building a solid program that produces excellent student-athletes,” said Athletic Director Clark Walker.

As a pitcher, Madison was an essential part of the pitching staff at Western Albemarle, throwing two no-hitters in his senior year. Madison played for Albemarle Legion Post 74 in summer leagues, helping the team to a district championship and two state tournament appearances. Madison played 4 years of NCAA collegiate baseball where he had a mixed role as a starting pitcher and reliever at both Ferrum College and Southern Virginia University. After finishing his eligibility with SVU, Madison played for the Elkton Blue Sox of the Rockingham County Baseball League (RCBL). He was invited to spring training for an independent professional baseball team in Colorado and was released after shoulder injuries.

He came back to SVU to complete his education earning a bachelor's degree in Family and Child Development. He also served as an assistant coach for the baseball program, working as the pitching coach during that time. After graduating, Madison came back to Crozet and is now working with Cale Elementary as a behavior assistant.

“I’m very excited for the opportunity to be the next head baseball coach at The Covenant School. I look forward to leading a team to become outstanding men and baseball players. My goal is for Covenant baseball to continue to compete at a very high level and be recognized throughout the state of Virginia,” says Madison.

Chris recently became engaged and his fiancé, CJ Tipping, is a senior at Liberty University where she plays ice hockey for their D1 program.

Chris can be reached at chris.madison@covenantschool.org and will be finalizing his entire staff very soon.