Charlotte, N.C. - Steve Hucke has been hired to lead the Johnson & Wales Charlotte baseball team in its inaugural season in 2025-26.

Hucke comes to Charlotte from Brevard College, where he's served as a volunteer assistant coach since 2019. He helped lead the Tornados to three consecutive 20 win seasons and a first ever appearance in a conference championship game in the school's NCAA era. His primary responsibilities were as a hitting, defense, and third base coach. H also helped with team travel and meal arrangements, and performed field maintenance and improvement projects. Hucke also served as the Admissions Athletics Liasion, helping guide student-athletes through the admissions process.

Hucke is ready to embrace the challenge of building the Wildcat baseball program. "I am excited to be a part of the Johnson & Wales University Athletic Department! I would like to thank Trudi Lacey, Director of Athletics for giving me the opportunity to usher in a new era here as the head baseball coach and guiding a new baseball program! I am eager to get started! Go Wildcats!"

Prior to his time at Brevard, he was the head baseball coach at Rochester Community & Technical College in Rochester, Minnesota. Hucke spent seventeen years at the helm of the Yellowjackets. He posted a career record of 339-282-1 with three 30 win seasons. He was named MCAC Southern Division Coach of the Year on five occasions and his teams won the MCAC Southern Division crown four times. RCTC made it to the NJCAA D-III World Series in 2011, in addition to winning division, region, and district titles. He coached 11 NJCAA D-III All-Americans and 23 MCAC All-Conference players.

" We are pleased to have Coach Hucke as our new JWU CLT baseball head coach," remarked Johnson & Wales Charlotte athletic director Trudi Lacey. "His experience at the NCAA D III level is invaluable, especially when starting a brand-new program.  We look forward to much success on the field and in the classroom under his leadership."

HIs first head coaching position was at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 2001-2002 season before that program was discontinued.

Hucke holds an Bachelor of Science in Education from Upper Iowa University and a Masters of Science in Sports Administration from Minnesota State University-Mankato.