Howard Rebhun Joins Navs as 2026 Pitching Coach

LYNN, Mass. 一 The North Shore Navigators of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) have announced the addition of pitching coach Howard Rebhun to their field staff for the upcoming 2026 season.

Rebhun will come to the Fraser Field dugout to coach under manager Jack Hawke, who was hired in October after serving as one of North Shore's assistants last summer. The staff also includes bench coach Dan Hirsch, who returns for his seventh season with the team.

"Howard is a young, smart pitching coach who is a budding star in this game," Navs President Derek January said. "His passion to win is infectious and I look forward to watching him work with a talented pitching staff next summer as we look to bring the NECBL championship back to Fraser Field!"

Rebhun is currently serving as an assistant coach and co-recruiting coordinator at the University of Hartford, a Division 3 program in the Conference of New England. He is coaching the Hawks' pitchers and outfielders and has responsibilities in the areas of player recruiting and camp coordination.

A native of Bristol, Conn., Rebhun arrived at Hartford this fall after spending the 2025 spring season at Division 2 Post University, which is his alma mater. He coached first base and assisted with the pitching staff for the Eagles, who won 26 games and made a Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) playoff appearance.

No stranger to the NECBL, Rebhun was an assistant coach for his hometown Bristol Blues last summer. He helped the Blues finish second in the South Division and reach the playoffs while posting the best team ERA in the league.

​"It is an honor to be back in the NECBL for another year. I'm excited and grateful for the opportunity to help get the Navs back to the playoffs," Rebhun said. "My focus is on preparing our pitching staff to be as confident and dominant as possible, giving them the mindset to go out and win every pitch. There's nothing I love more than winning, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure we're playing in August."

Before starting his coaching career, Rebhun was a five-year student-athlete at Post, contributing to the team as an ambidextrous pitcher. He helped the Eagles capture the 2024 CACC championship in his graduate year.

The Navigators will return to historic Fraser Field and the NECBL for their 19th summer season in 2026, with first pitch slated for early June. Stay up to date on the latest Navs news by visiting nsnavs.com and following the team on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.