McNicholas High School has named Brian Gatio as their new head baseball coach Friday. Gatio succeeds Jake Oester, who recently resigned for more family time and added work commitments.
Gatio has an extensive background as a coach at the high school level, including stints at three different local schools, including his alma mater McNicholas. He has spent the last two years as the pitching coach for McNicholas. Prior to being at McNicholas for what is his second stint as an assistant, Gatio spent five seasons at Turpin and Anderson as the pitching coach.
A 1994 graduate of McNicholas, Gatio was a player from 1991-1994 earning a number of accolades and helping lead the Rockets to a district runner-up finish in 1993. After his efforts in high school, Gatio went on to play baseball at Northern Kentucky University before returning to McNicholas as a full-time assistant in 1997
In Gatio’s first year as an assistant coach, he helped the pitching staff take the Rockets to the 1997 state final four, and they returned in 1998 to ultimately win the state championship. As the Rockets pitching coach from 1997-2004 the program won five district championships, and then a sixth in his second go-round this past spring.
“It’s his turn to see what he can do with the program; he’s more than ready,” said Drew Schmidt, Director of Athletics. “We are fired up to have him and his family sticking around. I am just as excited about his big-picture vision for our program. He’s been here when we were at the upper-echelon of the state."
Gatio wants to get the Rockets back to competing for state championships. McNicholas last won the Greater Catholic League-Coed Central Division in 2016. The last four league titles have gone to Badin.
Last year's team finished 17-12 and lost to Cincinnati Country Day in the Division III regional semifinals at Wright State.
"He is a people-person, loves this community, and bleeds green and white," Schmidt said."He already naturally lives and breathes what makes this place so special, and with that alone, he will be great for our student-athletes.”
Gatio said he is looking forward to putting on a different hat for the McNick baseball program and building the family atmosphere.
“This was a family decision," he said. "My wife and kids encouraged me to pursue this, and with their support, I am ecstatic to be in this position. I have grown up in this program. I have watched, played alongside, and coached some unbelievable talent over the years here. To be given this opportunity is being tasked with the responsibility of continuing a great tradition. We have set high expectations and our staff cannot wait to get started.”
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