Bryan Holaday is back at TCU as bench and catching coach, bringing Johnny Bench Award pedigree and MLB experience to Fort Worth.
TCU baseball just brought one of its own back into the dugout, and this move has real teeth.
Bryan Holaday, a former Horned Frogs star and longtime big leaguer, is returning to Fort Worth as TCU’s bench and catching coach.
That’s not just a nostalgia hire. That’s a program adding a former elite college catcher who knows exactly what winning baseball looks like at Lupton Stadium.
Holaday was a monster during his TCU career, appearing in 187 games with 181 starts.
He hit .325 with a .398 on-base percentage and .522 slugging percentage, piling up 228 hits, 46 doubles, 28 home runs, 142 RBIs and 145 runs scored.
In his final season with the Horned Frogs, he was named First-Team All-Mountain West Conference and a Second-Team All-American.
He also won the Johnny Bench Award, given to the nation’s top catcher, before the Detroit Tigers selected him in the sixth round of the MLB Draft.
From there, Holaday carved out a long professional career.
He made his MLB debut with Detroit in 2012 and spent four seasons with the Tigers before later playing for the Texas Rangers, Boston Red Sox, Miami Marlins, Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks.
By the time his MLB career wrapped, Holaday had collected 173 hits, 35 doubles, 10 home runs, 79 RBIs and 72 runs scored.
For TCU, the value is obvious. Holaday can teach catching from the dirt up, but he also brings clubhouse credibility.
READ MORE: TCU Baseball Adds Ex MLBer as Pitching Coach
He’s been the college star, the draft pick, the backup grinding for a roster spot and the veteran trusted behind the plate.
TCU isn’t just filling out a coaching staff. The Frogs are adding a familiar voice with big-league scars and purple blood.
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