Brett Stewart brings a wealth of experience to his role as the Privateers’ hitting coach and recruiting coordinator, a position he has held for five seasons.

In 2021, the Privateers earned their highest finish since joining the Southland and had six all-conference selections during the season. The Privateers also had a .297 batting average, 84 doubles and 254 runs in 40 games against conference opponents. 

The Privateers were off to an 11-6 start in 2020 but the coronavirus pandemic shortened a season where New Orleans was hitting their stride at the plate. New Orleans had a .384 on-base percentage and were second in the conference in runs scored with 113.

Between 2018 and 2019, the Privateers have had 13 student-athletes earn all-conference honors and four earn spots on the All-Southland Tournament team. 

In Stewart’s first season with the Privateers UNO saw a 17-game turnaround, the eighth-best in Division I in 2016, while the team was one of 17 to increase their winning percentage by .200, boasting the fourth-highest improvement at .285.
 
The Privateers’ 31-26 record marked the first winning record for the baseball program since 2008 and qualified for the Southland Conference for the first time since joining the league prior to the 2013-14 academic year. The Privateers set eight-year highs in batting average (.300), total hits (600), doubles (77), on base percentage (.368) and fielding percentage (.966) saves (15), strikeouts (400) and the lowest opponent batting average in the span (.286).
 
Nationally, UNO finished eighth in triples per game with a 0.44 average and 10^th in total triples with 25 while Dakota Dean cracked the top 25 individually with six on the season, the 22^nd-most.
 
UNO’s resurrected offense led the Southland Conference in triples, while finishing top five in the conference in five more offensive categories: doubles, batting average, home runs, total bases, slugging percentage, and hits. 

In 2018 the Privateers finished one game shy of winning the Southland Conference Tournament and finished with a 29-32 mark on the year. But the Privateers where tops in the Southland in a few categories. UNO led the league in triples (21), and where second in hits (585). Nationally in 2018, UNO ranked eleventh in triples. 

Hired in Fall 2015, Stewart came to UNO from Northwest Florida State College where he served as an assistant coach from 2013-15. In addition to his two seasons with the Raiders, he also served as the volunteer assistant at Nicholls for the 2013 season and coached the Rockville Express of the Cal Ripken League in summer 2012.

In two years at Northwest Florida State, Stewart helped the team post a combined 69-31 overall record and a 21-18 mark in Panhandle Conference action, including a 42-13 mark in 2015 when the Raiders finished second in the PC with a 12-7 record, a Region VII/Gulf District Tournament title and the NJCAA Division I World Series championship.

As the team’s recruiting coordinator, hitting coach and strength coach, Stewart was instrumental in the team hitting .289 (892-3076) with a .391 slugging percentage courtesy of 127 doubles, 25 triples and 45 home runs over his two seasons at NWFSC. While half of the student-athletes Stewart brought into the school still have junior college eligibility remaining, all 36 of his recruits at the school have  signed scholarships with four-year schools.

Stewart’s first stop on the coaching carousel was to Thibodaux, Louisiana, at Nicholls where he was responsible for all field maintenance, while serving as the assistant hitting coach and working directly with the Colonel outfielders. In his lone season at Nicholls, he helped the team hit .271 (501-of-1851) with a .365 slugging percentage on the strength of 95 doubles, 16 triples and 16 home runs. That year, outfielder Matt Richard was the team’s lone all-Southland Conference honoree as he claimed third-team recognition after hitting .290 and finishing third in the SLC with 21 stolen bases.

During his time in the Cal Ripken League, Stewart was an assistant coach for the Express where he served as the team’s hitting and fielding coach for a the regular-season league champions. He also worked for the Virginia Baseball Club as well as providing personal instruction as a private hitting coach.

Stewart was a four-year prep letterman at Niceville (Florida) High, he went on to play at Tallahassee Community College. In two years with the Eagles, he appeared in 62 games and hit .308 (52-for-169) with three home runs and 31 RBI. He earned a spot on the Panhandle Conference All-Academic Team as a freshman and garnered second-team All-PC recognition as a sophomore after hitting .320 (39-for-122) with 12 doubles, two home runs and 17 home runs. Stewart’s .467 slugging percentage in 2006 ranked sixth in school history at the conclusion of his JuCo career and he earned a scholarship to Appalachian State.

After missing the 2007 season after recovering from surgery to correct an irregular heartbeat, Stewart went 20-for-80 with three doubles, six home runs and 19 RBI at the plate and fielding .983 with 108 putouts and seven assists while helping turn seven double plays.

Athletic success runs in Stewart’s family as his father, the late Bruce Stewart, played basketball at Jacksonville State and was a head basketball coach for 26 years and won 650 games, 16 Coach of the Year awards and was one of two coaches to guide his teams to four different tournaments: NCAA, NIT, NAIA and NJCAA, and his brother, Brandon, played baseball at Jefferson Davis Community College.

A native of Niceville, Florida, Stewart earned his associates degree in general studies from Tallahassee Community College in May 2006 and his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Appalachian State in 2009. He is married to the former Ashley Patterson or Fairfax, Virginia, and the couple resides in Metairie, Louisiana. They have four children: Carden, Beckley, Sadie and Tripp.