University of Puget Sound

Jeff Halstead finished his 12th season as head coach of Logger Baseball in 2026. An exceptional two-sport student-athlete for the Loggers (football and baseball), Halstead has deep roots with the Maroon & White. He earned his B.A. in Business from Puget Sound in 2001, and he also earned his M.A.T in Education from Puget Sound in 2002.

Halstead's most recent season served as a capstone to this four-year run of excellence, as the team clinched their second consecutive postseason appearance, the first back-to-back appearance in program history. The team advanced to within a single game of the championship title, supported by Zach Robman who broke the program's all-time career saves record in the last games of the regular season. All Conference honors included a First Team selection for catcher Matt Churchill and a Second Team nod for Robman, with four additional Loggers earning Third Team. 

The 2024 season saw a continued number of accolades, as Makana Murashige and Davis Franklin both earned First Team honors. Under Halstead's leadership, the program reached postseason with 25 wins and capturing the first postseason victory in Logger history. The team's disciplined play was reflected on the national stage, entering the postseason with the fifth-highest fielding percentage in the country. This record-breaking year saw Kellen Krebs and Ryan Spero named to the All-NWC Second Team. 

The program has reached new heights since 2023, when the Loggers featured a lineup led by First Team Selections Gabe Huante, Dylan Joyce and Davis Franklin. That season was further highlighted by Joyce, who became only the sixth player in school history to reach 100 career RBIs while setting a new record for home runs as well. 

In 2022, Halstead hit the 100-win milestone for his career. The 2022 Loggers placed six All-NWC honorees, including three-time All-NWC honoree Kyle Strash. Strash finished his collegiate career as Puget Sound’s all-time leader in starts, runs, and walks, and he is the program’s No. 3 all-time leading hitter. By the end of the 2022 season, Puget Sound led the NWC in batting average (.294) and runs per game (7.9).

Following the 2021 season, both Owen Shellhammer and Dylan Joyce earned All-West Region honors. The 2018 Loggers finished top three in the NWC for several team statistics, including runs, batting average, and on-base percentage. Four Loggers earned All-NWC honors, including Kyle Strash's Freshman of the Year nod. Strash led the league in both batting average and on-base percentage.

During the 2017 season, Puget Sound tied the program record for best fielding percentage (.949). The 2017 Loggers also posted the program's third-best team ERA since 2000, with a 4.32 mark. Halstead guided a young team in which freshmen combined for a .277 batting average in more than 400 at-bats. Among those freshman, catcher Ricardo Barazza was named to the All-Northwest Conference Second Team. Pitchers Eric Crispell and Merle Rowan-Kennedy earned All-NWC Honorable Mention.

Halstead led the Loggers to five All-NWC selections and a barage of home runs in 2016. Puget Sound clubbed 28 home runs, the program's most since 2010. Under Halstead's tutelage, a Logger reached 63 hits for the second consecutive season. Chris Zerio reached the mark one year after Connor Savage achieved the feat, and the two are tied for the second-most hits in a season in Logger history. Halstead holds the record with 66.

Halstead led the Loggers to a record-breaking season in his first year as Puget Sound's head coach. After spending the previous 14 seasons as an assistant coach for Logger baseball (and an assistant coach for the Puget Sound football program during that stretch), Halstead was named the Loggers' head coach in June 2014.

His inaugural season yielded a program-best 457 hits, which ranked No. 10 in the country by the end of the regular season. Puget Sound also placed five All-Northwest Conference members in 2015.

Halstead had a historic collegiate career as an eight-time letter winner in baseball and football. Between the two sports, he earned six All-Northwest Conference selections, including four All-NWC First Team honors. He was also named to the All-West Region Second Team after setting a single-season Logger record with a .449 batting average in his senior season. His 66 hits that year also stands as the most by a Logger for a single season.

In all, Halstead set 14 records as a Logger. In regards to Puget Sound's all-time baseball leaders, Halstead ranks second in games played (148), fourth in runs (105), second in hits (180), and ninth in total bases (203). Most notably for football, he set the mark for receiveing yards in a season (a record that has since been broken).

A native of Clackamas, Oregon, Halstead was a standout student-athlete at Clackamas High School ('96), where he was an eight-time letter winner in both basebal, football, and basketball.

Halstead is married to former Puget Sound women's lacrosse coach Liana Halstead. They have two daughters, Tatum and Elodie.

 *Shortened season due to COVID-19