Bio

Joseph Edward Brockhoff

Perkinston Junior College (1957-1958) / Baseball
New Orleans, Louisiana

Since Joseph Brockhoff was a 15-year-old working with a youth baseball team in the New Orleans Recreation Department, he has known coaching and "America's pastime" would be part of his life.

"From an earlier age, I've understood baseball and wanted to pass that knowledge along. It's a game of extreme fundamentals, Talent is important, but I still believe hard work will overcome most odds."

Before this Metairie, La., native became a nationally known coach, he learned the game as a player on every level. His senior year at East Jefferson High School, he was named All-Prep as a catcher. After graduation, Brockhoff made his own way to Perkinston Junior College.

"I just came up for a visit. I wasn't even being recruited by the college. When I left the campus, Coach Mel Carpenter had me feel so welcome and I knew that's where I wanted to play baseball."

As a freshman, Brockhoff was a starter in right field. Despite not being behind the plate, Brockhoff made his presence known at the plate. He displayed versatility with the bat in two games against the Jones Bobcats. Brockhoff sealed a win in the first game with a three-run homer and laid down two squeeze bunts to tie the second game. Carpenter's 1957 club went on to win the state title.

Brockhoff's best season was 1958, when the team had an amazing 14-game team winning streak. Three games into the season, Brockhoff had a defining moment — hitting the game-winning home run over Hinds in the 11th inning.

"That was a big moment for me in several ways. Of course, winning the game but there was a Yankee scout in the stands. It was one of the reasons I was invited to a tryout in Hattiesburg."

Six weeks would pass before the Bulldogs faced another loss. Their winning streak came to an end against East Mississippi in a one-game showdown for the state championship. Brockhoff still remembers all of the game's turning points.

"Oh yeah, it's still a disappointment. If I could get the guys together I'd replay that game tomorrow, I really believe we were the better team, but we got behind early. I do think that game was a reason the state went to a playoff system."

Brockhoff finished the season hitting .340 and was named the team's Most Outstanding Player. He was drafted by the Yankees and spent two years in the team's farm system. After earning his bachelor's and master's degrees, Brockhoff made the transition to coaching.

He returned to his high school alma mater in 1968 as head baseball coach. It took only a few seasons for Brockhoff’s philosophy of fundamentals and hard work to pay off. His teams won back-to-back state championships in 1971 and 1972 and picked up four district titles on the way.

The year after being named New Orleans' High School Coach of the Year, Tulane University offered Brockhoff its first full-time position as head baseball coach. Over the next 19 seasons, he laid the foundation for a nationally recognized program. Along with leading the Green Wave to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament seven times, Brockhoff's name became synonymous with college baseball in the South.

He retired from Tulane in 1993 and still stands as the program's winningest coach with a record of 641 wins. Brockhoff says his success at Tulane was shaped by his time at Perk.

"My two years at Perk were pivotal to my life. It gave me the opportunity to grow. Now, my son Brian is playing for the Bulldog baseball team. It's hard to overemphasize the effect the college has had on our family."