CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard University baseball has added Nate Cole – previously an assistant coach at Southern Connecticut and Massachusetts – and Jack Hawke – previously an assistant coach at Vassar, Post, and Bard – as assistant coaches to the program's coaching staff, Bill Decker, The Joseph J. O'Donnell '67 Head Coach for Harvard Baseball, announced on Monday.
 
Prior to Harvard, Cole served the Massachusetts baseball program as an assistant coach for six seasons from 2016-21, joining the Minutemen in July 2015. Cole directed all recruiting efforts for the program.
 
Cole was instrumental in developing right-handed pitcher Justin Lasko (2016-19), guiding the former Minuteman into the Friday night slot in the rotation before Lasko was drafted and signed with the New York Mets in 2019. Lasko, who returned to High-A Brooklyn in 2021, left UMass in possession of multiple program records, including starts (48), innings pitched (311.1), and strikeouts (247).
 
Before UMass, Cole spent eight seasons (2008-15) coaching one of the top pitching staffs in Division II at Southern Connecticut. At SCSU, Cole mentored 18 all-conference selections and two All-Americans along with the 2008 and 2014 Northeast-10 Pitchers of the Year. Four Southern Connecticut hurlers signed professional contracts during that span.
 
Prior to SCSU, Cole was a three-year starter on the mound at Central Connecticut State University. While with the Blue Devils, he won two Northeast Conference championships and helped CCSU reach the NCAA Regionals in 2004 and 2007. He earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Central Connecticut in 2007.
 
Before coming to the Crimson, Hawke served as an assistant coach for Vassar College in Division III's Liberty League during the 2020-21 academic year and primarily worked towards the development of the team's outfielders, catchers, baserunners, and hitters. He also assisted with the team's nationwide recruiting efforts.
 
Prior to Vassar, Hawke spent the 2020 season at Division II Post University as the hitting, baserunning, and outfield coach. During the 2018 and 2019 seasons, Hawke served as an assistant at his alma mater – Bard College – where he was responsible for the development of the outfielders, baserunners, and hitters, and coached first base during games. He also was heavily involved in all recruiting efforts.
 
A 2017 graduate of Bard with a bachelor's degree in mathematics, Hawke started all four seasons and served as a three-year captain for the baseball team. A member of the American Baseball Coaches Association since 2019, Hawke also earned a Master of Arts in teaching from Bard in 2018.