John Hartley

Coach Hartley brings 33 years of baseball coaching experience to the Nationals, including 30 years of High School Coaching and 3 years as Head Coach of the College of the Ozarks. This summer, John is the Pitching Coach for the Midwest Nationals 18 Scout Team.  John has served as a Midwest Nationals Board of Director since 2007 and also serves his community on the Willard R-II School Board.

Before moving to Willard in 1986, Coach Hart guided the Springfield Kickapoo Legion Baseball program for six seasons.  Coach Hart spent 22 years as Head Coach at Willard High School and Willard American Legion Baseball and retired as the 14th winningest coach in Missouri history. In 1997, Coach Hart was inducted into the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.  John is also an Associate Scout with the Baltimore Orioles after 20 years with the Kansas City Royals.

John coached for the Midwest Nationals from 2005 to 2007, and along with Coach Sheetz, led the 2005 sophomores to a Premier World Series title. Hartley was also the Head Coach for Team Missouri in the Junior Sunbelt Games in 2004.

John’s overall coaching record stands at 943 wins and 480 losses. Hartley has sent more than 100 players to college baseball and has coached 12 players who have been selected in the MLB draft.

John resides in Willard with his wife Julie who is the Assistant Athletic Director at Willard High School. Their daughter, Kelly Richardson, is the Head Volleyball Coach at Southwest Baptist University and son-in-law Robb Richardson works for the Manson Company. Their son, Tyler, is a senior education/coaching major at Missouri State University, after an injury ended his collegiate career at College of the Ozarks and is currently the Head Coach of the Midwest Nationals 16 Blue.