ATHENS, Ga. — The University of Georgia has a new baseball coach.
Wes Johnson will lead the team after wrapping up his time with the LSU Tigers, where he is currently the pitching coach.
Director of Athletics Josh Brooks announced the new addition Monday. Johnson's welcome comes after Scott Stricklen's unexpected departure. Stricklin spent 10 years leading the team and had three years left in his contract, according to the athletics department.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Wes Johnson and his family to Athens and the University of Georgia,” said Brooks. “Wes has a proven track record of developing student-athletes while helping teams achieve impressive results. We aim to compete for postseason success and championships, and Wes has done that throughout his coaching career at every level, from high school to college and up to the Major Leagues."
Johnson is an Arkansas native and became the first pitching coach in Major League Baseball (MLB) history to make the move directly from college baseball to the big leagues when he joined the Minnesota Twins in 2018, according to a news release from UGA. Minnesota was leading the American League Central Division last June when he opted to return to college ball at LSU.
During his time as a college coach, 30 of Johnson’s pitchers have been drafted by MLB teams.
He will remain with the Tigers until they wrap up their season as the Tigers play in the NCAA Tournament.
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