Alabama Names Maryland’s Rob Vaughn Head Baseball Coach
Rob Vaughn, the 2022 and 2023 Big Ten Conference Coach of the Year, has been named head baseball coach at The University of Alabama, Director of Athletics Greg Byrne announced on Monday. Vaughn, who becomes the 33rd head coach in Crimson Tide baseball history, will be formally introduced at a press conference on Tuesday, June 13.
“We are thrilled to welcome Rob Vaughn as the next head baseball coach at The University of Alabama,” said Byrne. “I talked to a number of people throughout this process and was so impressed with Rob from the start. He is one of the young, bright talents in college baseball and has done an excellent job leading Maryland’s program. The success on the field speaks for itself, but even more impactful were the conversations with those who have played for Rob. We look forward to welcoming Rob, his wife Kayleigh, and children, Wyatt and Beau to Tuscaloosa.”
In addition to Vaughn’s hiring, interim head coach Jason Jackson was retained on the coaching staff. Jackson will now serve as the associate head coach of the Crimson Tide while continuing his role as pitching coach.
“I could not be prouder of the job Coach Jackson did in serving as our interim head coach for the final six weeks of the season,” said Byrne. “He was incredible at managing a tough situation and ultimately leading this team somewhere it had not been in quite some time. He has great relationships with our team, the department, our fans and beyond, and we are thrilled to keep JJ here in Tuscaloosa and elevate him to associate head coach.”
“First off, I’m so very proud of this team and this group of players,” said Jackson. “This team will always hold a special place in Alabama Baseball history.
“My family and I are very happy here in Tuscaloosa. I love this university and I love coaching these players and am excited about the opportunity to continue to be able to do that. Rob has done an amazing job at Maryland and I know he will be a great fit here as well. I’m thankful for the opportunity and look forward to working together. I also want to thank Greg Byrne and the administration for the support of both my family and me and of our program. I know we are all ready to hit the ground running.”
Vaughn comes to Tuscaloosa after spending the previous six seasons at the University of Maryland. He led the Terps to a 183-117 record, including an 84-54 mark in Big Ten play, finishing atop the conference standings in both 2022 and 2023 while earning Big Ten Coach of the Year in consecutive seasons. He was a part of the staff for the three winningest seasons in Maryland history, including the only 40-win seasons for the Terps in 2014, 2015, 2022 and 2023.
