7/30/19
By Riley Zayas
On July 25, five time MLB all star and 2x gold glove award winner Troy Tulowitzki announced it was time for him to hang up the cleats. However, he wasn't entirely ready to put the baseball life behind him.
“I love college baseball and what it’s about,” he said in a conference call with the media as reported by Yahoo Sports.”I had a great experience at Long Beach State. And I always kept it in the back of my mind, saying one day when I was done playing, I’d like to get back into the college game. So when I felt like that possibility was a reality, I did my homework on different programs and it led me to Texas.”
Coming with excellent references from former players like Drew Stubbs and Huston Street, head coach David Pierce offered him the job. Pierce was more than glad to bring the experienced ballplayer onto his staff after disastrous 2019 season, which included missing out on the Big 12 Tournament. The head coach is hoping that the MLB veteran can add a much-needed spark to the program, helping them bounce back from the disappointment of this past season.
For many Texas fans, the hire was a shock. After all, it’s not everyday that a guy with Tulowitzki’s credentials is hired to coach right out of his playing days. However, the trend of former players taking coaching jobs upon retirement is a long standing one. Here are a few notable coaching hires of former players straight from the pros, with their first job listed beside their name.
Jason Kidd, Head Coach Brooklyn Nets
The NBA champion and five time all star was one of the biggest names in the NBA until he retired in 2013. Immediately upon retirement, he took the head coaching job with the Brooklyn Nets. Turning many skeptical fans into supporters, the young coach earned “Eastern Conference Coach of the Month” twice in his first season en route to a conference championship berth where they lost to Miami. Unfortunately, the success in the Big Apple didn’t translate to Milwaukee, where he was recently fired after the 2018 season.
Kliff Kingsbury, Quality Control, Houston Football
After ending his career in 2007 with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes, Houston hired the former quarterback as a quality control coach. Rising up the ranks rather quickly, he was promoted to offensive coordinator for the 2011 season,where he was named 2011 offensive coordinator of the year. It wasn’t long before he seized his first major role, head coach at his alma mater, Texas Tech. Now six seasons later, he has also spent time in Los Angeles at USC and now at the helm of the Arizona Cardinals.
Jeff Duncan, Volunteer Assistant, Auburn Baseball
In a situation similar to Tulowitzki’s, Duncan enjoyed a successful college and pro career, spending parts of two seasons in the big leagues with the New York Mets. Plagued by injury, he was forced to retire and signed on to become a volunteer assistant at Auburn. His work with the outfielders at both Auburn and later Purdue were driving forces in his landing the head coaching job at mid-major Kent State. Among his accomplishments with the Golden Flashes, the program reached an NCAA Regional for the second time during his tenure.
As can be seen from the following examples, former players have and continue to make great coaches immediately after retirement. No doubt, Tulowitzki will be the same way.
As Pierce put it, “It’s a win-win situation. His knowledge goes without saying, but his passion and energy for the development of these young men left a meaningful impression on me.”
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