Longtime legendary coach Woody Hunt begins his second year as the Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Fundraising. Coach Hunt recently ended a 41-year stint as the as head baseball coach and 43rd year with the program in 2021. The Phoenix have won three NAIA national championships (2004, 2010, 2014) as well as two runner-up finishes (1995, 2006) during his tenure at CU. He has amassed a 1,630-774-5 overall record, including 1,569-748-5 as a four-year institution.

The Phoenix have appeared in 12 NAIA World Series, including six in 11 seasons from 2004-14. Cumberland has won 20 regular season conference championships during Hunt's tenure, including 10 in the Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference (TCAC), six in the Mid-South Conference (MSC) and four in the TranSouth Athletic Conference (TSAC). CU has four district championships, 12 NAIA regional titles and has played in five super regionals as well.

The program has posted 24 seasons with 40 or more victories, including 20 of the last 27 years, while registering 50 or more wins eight times, all since 1997. The 2004 squad set the school-record for victories with 59, followed closely behind by the 2010 club with a 58-9 mark.

The Phoenix have produced 69 NAIA All-Americans, including 2010 National Player of the Year Matt Greener and Steve Green, the only three-time All-American in program history. 99 of Hunt's former players have signed professional contracts.

The Phoenix posted a 519-216 record (.706) from 2004-14 with six NAIA World Series appearances, one runner-up finish and three national titles.

Hunt has also achieved individual success in the awards category, claiming 17 Coach of the Year honors, including the 2006 and 2010 Rawlings National Coach of the Year awards. He is a seven-time Southeast Region Coach of the Year and has also been a finalist for the National Coach of the Year Award four times. 

He has been elected to six halls of fame, including Cumberland’s Sports Hall of Fame, the Boyle County (KY) Baseball Sports Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, and the American Baseball Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame.

Most recently, Hunt was awarded the Pat Summitt Lifetime Achievement Award by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, which is presented to coaches who have led their teams in excellence, cultivating talent in athletes, and are a shining example of mentorship and leadership within the sports industry.

He also received the Fred Russell Distinguished American Award in February 2020, which is the highest honor presented by the National Football Foundation and recognizes a local supporter of American values and the mid-state community. The award has been presented since 1969 and the list of recipients includes major politicians, country music celebrities, military officers, and leading citizens.

The Mid-South Conference presented Coach Hunt with the Coaching for Significance award in 2018 which is presented to a coach who is an outstanding teacher, an exemplary role model, and a dynamic leader.

In 2011, Hunt was presented with the Junie McBride “Mr. Baseball” Award by the Nashville Old Timers Baseball Association. This is the highest award given annually by the NOBA.

He received the Reese L. Smith Jr., Award presented by the Nashville Sports Council in 2010. The award is given to recognize an individual for their achievement and community service through their participation as a player, coach, administrator, supporter, and overachiever. 

Perhaps his greatest achievement lies in the facilities in which his team plays, practices and dresses. Cumberland has one of the finest baseball facilities in the nation, second to none in the NAIA, with Ernest L. Stockton Field and its 500 chairback seats and state-of-the-art press box. The Benton Jennings Indoor Hitting Complex provides year-round access to the Phoenix hitters and pitchers for workouts in inclement weather, and the Jeanette C. Rudy Clubhouse has 40 individual lockers as well as a lounge with a big-screen television, coaches offices, dressing areas and trophy cases.

Hunt's Career Year-by-Year Records at Cumberland