NDHS Coach Jeff Graviett is Inducted Into 2019 MHSBCA Hall of Fame

Notre Dame Regional High School‘s Athletic Director Jeff Graviett, has been inducted into the 2019 Missouri High School Baseball Coach Association (MHSBCA) Hall of Fame.  He also serves as the head baseball and softball coach at Notre Dame.

Graviett graduated from Chaffee High School in 1994 and later earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from Southeast Missouri State Univeristy followed by a Master of Arts in Administration from William Woods University.  He has been coaching at Notre Dame Regional High School since 1997, and took over as Athletic Director in 2017.

Graviett said he was just a teenager when he began his coaching experience.

“I started out about 15, and my dad coached my brother’s 9-10 year-old team.  I remember coming home from high school baseball practice one day, and my dad hollered at me, ‘Hey, come on out here!  I think you can do this,’” said Graviett.

Graviett brought what he had most recently learned out on the high school baseball field at his own practice to his younger brother’s team’s practice.  Graviett knew he loved to play the game, but he really loved teaching the game.

“I just started watching how my dad and the kids worked together, and he’d ask for my help more and more.  By the time I was 17, I was coaching with him,” said Graviett.  “I almost got more out of seeing kids succeed at something I helped them do.”

On the role of a baseball coach, Graviett said you want your kids to be laid back, and you want to be able to take the pressure off, first and foremost.  But, it’s also important for a coach to focus on your own mindset.

“You’ve got to have short-term memory, and you can’t dwell on everything.  That’s the mental part of it,” said Graviett.  “Try not to get too excited, too early.  I always say it’s harder to be a basketball coach than a baseball coach, because of the way you get your kids excited in basketball.  In baseball, it’s a little more laid back.”
Some of Graviett’s most memorable baseball memories include the first year his team made it into the state championship game in 1999, during which his team made an unbelievable run, just falling short.  This was also his first year as head coach at Notre Dame.  The two state championship games of 2009 and 2015 are also very notable for Graviett.

“The ’09 game was really special, because we got into the final four the year before in 2008 and got hammered in the semi-final game, and won the state championship the next year,” said Graviett.  “That was phenomenal.”

Although Graviett has worked with many different coaches over the years, he was especially fond of his freshman baseball coach at Chaffee High School, Bob Coons.
“He was the guy who would come out every single day in the summertime, and do batting practice with the kids,” said Graviett.  “His dedication to the game and his drive to win had an impact on my life early on.”

Graviett will attend an induction ceremony for the MHSBCA on January 19th in Jefferson City.  In addition to the honor, he will receive a plaque and a “Hall of Fame” ring.  He is the only active coach in the region to be inducted into the MHSBCA Hall of Fame.

During almost 21 years as head coach at NDHS, his record is 405-130.  He has snagged 11 district titles, attended 6 final fours, and his team has won 2 state championships.  He was inducted into the Notre Dame High School Hall of Fame in 2016, and into the 2018 Missouri High School Fastpitch Coaches Association Hall of Fame.  He was named Missouri High School Baseball Coach of the Year by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association in 2009.

In addition to his many successes professionally and on the field, Graviett mentioned his family.  He has been married to the love of his life, Angie, for over ten years.  Together they have been blessed with 4 wonderful children – Garrett, Kirstan, Miranda, and Blake, and two adorable grandsons – Luke and Colton.