List of Nashville Sounds coaches


The Nashville Sounds Minor League Baseball team has utilized 48 coaches since its establishment in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1978. These include 25 pitching coaches, 21 hitting coaches, 1 bench coach, and 1 bullpen coach. As of the completion of the 2019 season, these coaches and the team's managers have led the club for 6,004 regular season games in which they compiled a win–loss record of 3,083–2,921. Their teams have qualified for the postseason on 14 occasions and have a postseason record of 42–41. For the 2020 season, the Sounds' coaching staff was slated to include Brendan Sagara, Chase Lambin, and Tyler Graham in an unspecified coaching role, but the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The coaches assigned to a minor league team depend on each Major League Baseball organization's development approach. Predominantly, the Sounds' staff has included only pitching and hitting coaches, but bullpen and bench coaches were utilized in 2019. The role of a bench coach, which was not prevalent in the major leagues until the 1990s, is to do whatever most helps his manager lead the club. They may serve as an in-game adviser to the manager, offering situational advice to assist him in making game decisions. If the manager is ejected, suspended, or otherwise unable to attend a game, the bench coach typically assumes the position of acting manager. Bench coaches may also seek to build a positive culture in the clubhouse, especially in regard to player–coach communication. A pitching coach is responsible for instructing a teams' pitchers in matters of mechanics, pitch selection, and game preparation. During a game, he advises the manager on the condition of pitchers and their arms, and serves as an in-game coach for the pitcher currently on the mound. When a manager makes a visit to the mound, he typically is doing so to make a pitching change or to discuss situational defense. However, the pitching coach is the one who usually will visit the mound to calm down the pitcher or to discuss how to pitch to a particular batter. Bullpen coaches have similar responsibilities before and after games. During games, the bullpen coach works with relief pitchers and supervises their warmups in the bullpen. A hitting coach works with players to improve their hitting technique and form. He monitors players' swings during the game and over the course of the season, advising them when necessary between at bats on possible adjustments. He also oversees their performance during practices, cage sessions, and pre-game batting practice.
Five former Sounds players later served as coaches for the team. Wayne Garland of the 1982 starting rotation returned as pitching coach from 1987 to 1988. Don Cooper, who pitched out of the bullpen in 1980, served as pitching coach from 1994 to 1996. Reliever Steve Wilson retired from the Sounds during the 1995 season to become the team's pitching coach. Fred Dabney, a reliever on the 1993 team, returned to coach pitchers from 2012 to 2014. Éric Gagné, who made two major league rehabilitation starts in 2008, served as bullpen coach in 2019. Outfielder Gene Roof and catcher Buddy Pryor were player-coaches who coached hitting while also playing on the team. Two coaches also managed the Nashville club. Pitching coach Wayne Garland filled in as interim manager for three games in 1988 after the dismissal of manager Jack Lind. Richie Hebner, who was the hitting coach from 1998 to 2000, became the team's manager for the second half of the 2000 season when Trent Jewett was hired as the Pittsburgh Pirates' third base coach. Four coaches have been selected to participate in the Triple-A All-Star Game: Stan Kyles, Rich Gale, Bob Skube, and Rick Rodriguez.
Pat Dobson's 1980 to 1981 pitching staffs had a 3.18 earned run average, the lowest recorded under all pitching coaches. Darold Knowles and Stan Kyles are the longest-tenured pitching coaches, having each served for four full seasons. Hitting coaches Jeff Livesey and Sandy Guerrero led their hitters to batting averages of.276, the highest under all hitting coaches. Roger LaFrancois, who coached hitting for four full seasons, is the longest-serving hitting coach.

Table key

Pitching coaches

No.CoachSeasonWinsLossesW%ERASO
-1978–1979147138.5163.321,630
11980–1981178108.6223.181,804
21982–1984239198.5473.732,357
319857170.5043.84783
419866874.4794.25755
51987–1988137145.4863.891,833
61989–1990160133.5463.521,784
719916578.4553.77886
819926777.4653.821,033
91993–1994164123.5713.701,951
1019948361.5763.531,041
1119948361.5763.531,041
1219948361.5763.531,041
19956876.4724.04931
1319956876.4724.04931
19967767.5353.77880
19977469.5174.64881
141998–1999147136.5194.731,894
1520006379.4444.80854
162001–2004280289.4924.323,961
172005–2008299273.5234.134,327
187569.5214.25882
197569.5214.25882
207767.5354.27938
217767.5354.27938
7173.4934.271,003
7173.4934.271,003
7173.4934.271,003
222012–2014201231.4654.223,353
2320156678.4583.951,037
242016–2018223198.5303.923,279
2520196672.4785.481,158
26from 2020——————

Hitting coaches

No.CoachSeasonBAHRRBI
-1978–1979.256108977
11980–1982.2702731,922
21983.272100650
31983–1984.2681991,244
-1985.25296521
41986.27485600
5.25775535
6.25775535
-1988–1990.2532461,594
1991–1992.2551991,086
71993–1996.2645272,482
81997.269153659
91998–2000.2734822,049
102000.258138639
112001.276130616
122002.262110608
132003.266116585
2004.272180642
142005–2006.2692721,279
152007–2008.2672781,267
162009–2011.2763941,978
172012.259119507
182013–2014.2602491,145
192015.26584548
202016–2018.2614081,864
212019.261179658
22from 2020————

Bench coaches

Bullpen coaches

Other coaches