Baseball: Hoffman Estates tabs Abbott to succeed Meador

Chuck Abbott has been named varsity baseball coach at Hoffman Estates High School, effective with the 2017 season.

Abbott, currently an assistant coach with the Hawks, will replace Todd Meador.

Meador entered the current season as the winningest coach in Hoffman Estates High School history with 233 wins spanning 17 seasons. He is stepping down after the 2016 season in order to spend more time with his family.

Currently a physical education and driver's education teacher at Hoffman Estates, Abbott has served as the Hawks' assistant varsity coach since 2012.

Prior to coaching at Hoffman Estates, Abbott was the sophomore coach at Schaumburg from 2009-2011 and also coached the school's freshman team from 2005-2008. He also was a Special Olympics sponsor (2007-2009), a varsity assistant football coach (2007-2008), and a sophomore football coach (2004-2005) at Hoffman Estates.

"Coach Abbott knows baseball, but more importantly, he knows what it takes to build a team and develop student-athletes," said Hoffman Estates Principal Jim Britton. "Our baseball program and players are in great hands with coach Abbott."

A Schaumburg native, Abbott attended Austin Peay and played baseball for the Governors from 1994-1996. He led APSU to its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance with a school-record 44-win season and a record 42-game hitting streak, which at the time was the nation's fourth-longest consecutive game hitting streak. He was drafted by the California Angels in the second round of the 1996 amateur draft as the 55th player overall, and played professionally as a shortstop and second baseman for minor-league teams in the Anaheim Angels and Cleveland Indians organizations. In 2004, Abbott was inducted into the Austin Peay State Athletics Hall of Fame.

"Coach Abbott's wealth of knowledge will translate into valuable experiences for our baseball players on and off the field," added Hoffman Estates athletic director Steve Lacni. "He is a technician and a true teacher of the game. We are excited to have coach Abbott at the helm of the program. He will cultivate excellence in our baseball players."