Former All-Star Woody Williams, Baylor’s Steve Rodriguez join Texas baseball staff
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Texas baseball coach David Pierce announced his revamped staff Thursday, and as expected, there was no mention of Troy Tulowitzki.
Former big league pitcher Woody Williams, who spent the past seven years as an assistant at San Jacinto College, will be Texas’ new pitching coach. Former Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez will be the new hitting and infield coach and recruiting coordinator.
Caleb Longley will be UT’s volunteer assistant working with the outfielders and catchers. Philip Miller, a longtime Pierce lieutenant, will become special assistant to the head coach.
These moves come after Texas finished the 2022 season with a 47-22 record and reached the College World Series.
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Afterward, Texas parted ways with Sean Allen, who had been the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator the past three seasons. Then it was reported that Tulowitzki was approached by USC to become the Trojans’ new head coach.
A UT source told the American-Statesman that Tulowitzki was encouraged to explore the USC job but was told that staying at Texas would still be an option. In the end, the former all-star shortstop chose neither the Trojans nor the Horns.
Pierce has not spoken with reporters about Tulowitzki’s decision and was not available Thursday.
In a statement, Pierce indicated that Williams is already working for the Horns. He pitched for 15 MLB seasons (1993-2007) and won 132 games with a 4.19 career ERA. He was an All-Star with St. Louis in 2003, the year he went 18-9 and struck out 153 in 220 2/3 innings. Before the pros, Williams played at Houston in 1987-88.
“Woody has hit the ground running and can’t wait to start building the foundation with our recruits and current players,” Pierce said in a statement. “He is a veteran of 15 years in the big leagues and has a reputation of being a fierce competitor. It will be a treat every day for our players to learn from these two great men.”
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Rodriguez has 598 wins and 11 NCAA postseason appearances as the head coach at Pepperdine and Baylor. He was named the Big 12's coach of the year in 2017 and led the Bears to NCAA regional appearances from 2017 through 2019. The school won its first Big 12 Tournament title in 2018.
“He brings energy and enthusiasm to the Forty Acres and can recruit the best players in the country to our program,” Pierce said. “He has a knack for developing players to reach their full potential and is an absolute home run hire for Texas baseball. He understands winning with integrity and will be an unbelievable addition to our staff.”
Contact Brian Davis by phone or text at 512-445-3957. Email bdavis@statesman.com or @BDavisAAS.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas baseball coach David Pierce announces new coaching staff
