PEORIA, Ill. -- First-year Bradley Baseball coach Elvis Dominguez put the finishing touches on his coaching staff Tuesday, adding Jonathan Hadra as the team's second full-time assistant. Hadra, 26, comes to Bradley after a three-year stint as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky and joins John Corbin as assistant coaches on Dominguez's staff.
“Jonathan comes very highly recommended by several people I trust in our profession,” said Dominguez. “After meeting with him, it is clear he will bring a lot of energy, he is knowledgable and is very passionate about the game. I know that passion will rub off on our players.”
At Western Kentucy, Hadra oversaw outfield insturction as well as baserunning and bunting. He also threw batting pratice and coached first base. Hadra helped the Hilltoppers earn a berth in the 2008 NCAA Regionals after capturing the Sun Belt Conference Tournament championship and the Western Kentucky defense finished third in the nation with a .976 team fielding percentage last spring. During Major League Baseball's 2008 First-Year Player Draft, Western Kentucky junior outfielder Chad Cregar was selected by the Chicago Cubs in the 47th round. Cregar was named a second-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Assocation, as well as a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection.
During Hadra's second season in Bowling Green, the Hilltoppers went 15-15 in Sun Belt play, recording a conference record 10-game improvement from their 5-18 league mark in 2006.
Off the field, Hadra assisted in the development of the “Diamond Club,” a baseball alumni program designed to promote alumni and community support for Western Kentucky baseball. He also developed and coordinated the Western Kentucky Baseball Academy, a program designed to provide private and group lessons to youth in the community.
Prior to his three years at Western Kentucky, Hadra spent one season as an assistant coach at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. In his only season as a coach at VMI, the Keydets won a school-record 27 games, finishing the regular season with a record better than .500 for the first time since 1965. Hadra worked with the VMI outifielders as well as assisting instruction in baserunning, bunting and positional defense.
Before joining the Keydets as a coach, Hadra played collegiately for VMI from 2001-04, serving as team captain during his senior campaign in 2004. As a junior, Hadra helped the Keydets to a then-school record 25 victories. The Keydets finished the 2003 season with a 16-14 mark in the Southern Conference, marking the first time in school history VMI finished over .500 in conference play.
Hadra is married to the former Allison Toth.
