Matt Morrow, who spent the 2026 season at Kentucky as the Director of Offensive Development, has accepted a full-time spot on the Indiana coaching staff. In 2023, the NCAA passed a rule allowing college baseball staffs to hire three full-time assistants. Morrow was not in a full-time role at Kentucky but will be with the Hoosiers.
Morrow worked alongside college teammate Chase Slone with the Wildcats this season. Prior to Kentucky, Morrow worked for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Illinois-Chicago, Wabash Valley Junior College and Saint Louis. Morrow is a native of Richmond, Indiana, and will have a chance to reunite with Indiana head coach Jeff Mercer, whom he played for at Wright State from 2015-18.
Kentucky coach Nick Mingione told Bat Cats Central in an interview in September 2025 that Morrow is "an amazing guy" and believed that Morrow was a quality addition who added strength to the Wildcats' staff makeup.
"We just felt like with the personnel and everybody that we had, to add somebody that could help on the offensive side would be key," Mingione said. "Just looking at the personnel on our team and the staff that we have in place, it just felt like another set of eyes to help us analyze data and do some different things would be crucial. If you look at everywhere (Morrow's) been, they basically win. We added another winner to the staff.”
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The Wildcats' full-time assistant staff is set to return for another season. Pitching coach Dan Roszel will enter his eighth season with the program, while recruiting coordinator Austin Cousino will enter his fourth season. Slone's original contract, signed in 2024, expired on June 30. He'll receive a new contract and return for his third season as Kentucky's hitting coach.
Mingione also added former players Ryder Giles and Devin Burkes to the staff earlier this summer. Giles played on Kentucky's super regional team in 2023 and was on the staff in 2025 before going to Elon in 2026. A UK press release in June said Giles' official title had not been determined but Giles "is expected to help manage the Wildcats’ recruiting efforts."
Burkes, a beloved player on some of Kentucky's best teams in school history, finished his UK career in 2025. He started 177 games in his career and served as the backstop on the Wildcats' first College World Series team.
“It’s a blessing to be back to help the team and the state I love the most,” Burkes said in a press release.
Burkes' X account shows his title as "Director of Offensive & Catching Development."
