After news circulated this morning about an opening at assistant coach, reports are saying that Mississippi State has hired Jake Gautreau.
This morning, I wrote about an opening that was posted on Mississippi State‘s site. Yesterday, June 16th, an official posting of an open assistant coaching position was posted on Mississippi State’s job directory. This caused many fans to wonder who was out?
Related Story: Baseball Assistant Coaching Position Open
According to reports circulating on Twitter, Andy Cannizaro has decided to move on from Will Coggin. Coggin, the recruiting coordinator and third base coach for the Bulldogs, was promoted to assistant coach prior to this past baseball season. Cannizaro has made the decision to move in a different direction for his second season as the head man in Starkville.
D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers says the Bulldogs have decided to go with former Tulane assistant Jake Gautreau to replace Coggin on staff.
Jake Gautreau is a really nice hire for @HailStateBB — He was a strong assistant at #Tulane, now doing well w/ Boras Corp. Quality get.
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) June 17, 2017
When asked if the hire was already made, Rogers says it has and that it should be officially announced as soon as Monday.
Yes. I’d look for Miss State to announce Gautreau’s addition, officially, on Monday. https://t.co/q7H88EIIhE
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) June 17, 2017
So, who is Jake Gautreau?
Jake Gautreau played college ball in New Orleans for Tulane. Gautreau earned All-American and Conference USA Player of the Year honors during his playing days for the Green Wave. Here is a little bit about Gautreau’s career, from Nola.com:
"Gautreau was an All-American standout for the Green Wave from 1999-2001, earning the Conference USA Player of the Year award in back-to-back seasons, and played eight seasons of professional baseball before returning to his alma mater as an assistant coach in 2010. Gautreau played third base on the 2001 College World Series team and was a captain for the Green Wave."
As a coach, Gautreau took over interim coaching duties for his alma mater during the 2014 baseball season. According to Tammy Nunez of NOLA.com, he “served as the program’s recruiting coordinator, hitting instructor and infielders coach prior to being named the interim coach midway through the spring”.
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Gautreau replaced former Tulane coach Ricky Jones. Jones was forced to retire due to “health concerns”. The former All-American standout interviewed for the head job at Louisiana Tech after a season coaching the Green Wave back in 2014.
Andy Cannizaro has proven to be a smart and creative mind. He likes to take risks and take chances in different situations. With the hiring of Gautreau, Cannizaro — who was also a standout at Tulane — must believe he is getting an upgrade in both recruiting and on-field coaching with this hire. The hiring of Gautreau makes Mississippi State an even bigger threat for talented New Orleans and Louisiana recruits.
Andy Cannizaro wants to take Mississippi State to places the program has never been before. Perhaps. this is a big step in that goal.