Coach Craig Hopkins is entering his eighth season on the Dragon Baseball Staff after helping lead the Dragons to the schools first state baseball title in 2013.  Hopkins will continue to fill the role of the programs catching and hitting instructor.  In addition, he will begin his second season as the Head Coach of our AAA program.  

Coach Hopkins brings 7 years of experience to the program,  all with the Diamond Dragons.   During his tenure as an assistant, Hopkins has helped propel the Dragons to 5 State Tournament appearances.  

Hopkins has a wealth of experience at the catching position, including being  tutored by one of the nations top catching instructors in the country, Rob McDonald, as a player for the University of Memphis baseball program.  McDonald is currently the Head Coach at Murray State University.

Coach Hopkins has made a huge impact in the success of our program and it shows by the number of catchers  that have moved on to play at the Division I level under his guidance.  In his first 6 seasons with the Diamond Dragons, Hopkins produced one Division II and three Division I signee's.  In total Hopkins has seen 41 Dragons sign college scholarships, including 20 that moved on to play at Division I schools.   

Hopkins played collegiately for the University of Memphis from 1997-2000.  In his time at Memphis, he had the privilege of catching four pitchers who made it to the Major Leagues and numerous others who made it to the Minor League level.  In 1999 he received the "Spirit Award" which is voted on by the players and goes to the player who has displayed the best leadership skills throughout the season.  Hopkins graduated from Memphis with a degree in Finance.  

During his prep career, Hopkins was a standout football player and catcher for Houston High School.   Coach Hopkins still holds the Tennessee state record for most doubles in a single game (4). 

Coach Hopkins is currently the Special Education Assistant at Collierville Elementary School.  He is married to Monica Hopkins of Collierville.  The couple has three boys:  Isaac, Joshua and Noah.

High School:  Houston High School, TN

College:  University of Memphis, TN

Coach Hopkins' Coaching Bio: