Christopher Hoch in a staff photograph. Credit: Courtesy of OSU

Christopher Hoch in a staff photograph. Credit: Courtesy of OSU

Christopher Hoch will step into the position of director of Ohio State Marching and Athletic Bands after serving as interim director since May.

The university announced Wednesday Hoch had been officially named to the position in a release.

Hoch is also expected to fulfill an appointment as assistant professor within the School of Music, according to the OSU release. This appointment, which is expected to run June 1 to May 31, 2020, is pending approval by the Board of Trustees.

In this position, he will be expected to teach courses and conduct research, as well as perform public service, according to the release.

Bruce McPheron, interim executive vice president and provost, said in the release that Hoch has proven himself “on and off the field” during his career at OSU.

“He has shown focus toward putting our students first and as director, will be expected to continue to instill in students the highest standard for their personal conduct, on and off the field,” McPheron said.

OSU announced last May Hoch would serve as the interim Marching and Athletic Bands director for the upcoming season.

Zack Joseph, a baritone who played under Hoch’s direction, said he was excited to hear the news of Hoch being named to the position.

“I believe Chris is a great guy for the job, very deserving,” he said. “The entire band, myself especially, (is) very excited about the news, very optimistic about next season.”

Joseph, a second-year in accounting, met Hoch two years ago during his first season playing in the band, and he said, even serving as the associate director, Hoch made an immediate impression on him.

“I could tell he had a really good grasp on the band — the way everything was organized — he was clearly one of the leaders of the band,” he said. “I really felt really comfortable under his leadership. As a first-year member, I felt very safe and very comfortable around him and the rest of the band, especially.”

Hoch began his career at OSU as an assistant director of Marching and Athletic Bands. He has 16 years of experience teaching music in high school and college band and musical ensemble programs.

Hoch orchestrated the popular “Tribute to the Classic Video Games” halftime show, which was performed during the 2012 homecoming game versus Nebraska, while serving as associate director.

Joseph said he believes Hoch is ready for next season, citing his leadership during the marching band’s “tremendous success” last season, including its first performance abroad at Wembley Stadium in London and an appearance at the Fiesta Bowl.

“Throughout the entire year, I felt, clearly, this is the guy that we need, the guy we all trust,” he said. “And it ended up, luckily, turning out the way that we all hoped it would.”