Topics

Photo: San Jacinto College
David Pierce took one of the final steps in completing his coaching staff Saturday afternoon, tabbing Woody Williams as the new pitching coach for the Longhorns. The move was first reported by Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball.
Williams has spent the last 6 seasons as an assistant for San Jacinto Junior College, one of the premier junior college programs in the country. Prior to his time at San Jacinto, he spent 3 years at Fort Bend Christian Academy. Williams enjoyed a 15-year MLB career that included stints with the Astros, Blue Jays, Cardinals and Padres. He was an All-Star selection in 2003 and finished his career with 132 wins.
Williams will replace Sean Allen, who was let go following the 2022 season. Williams will not be the only new face on the Texas staff, as the Longhorns will reportedly hire Steve Rodriguez to be their new hitting coach. The final step in Pierce completing his coaching staff will be filling the volunteer assistant spot which was previously held by Troy Tulowitzki. 

It has been an eventful few weeks for Texas baseball. Pitching coach Sean Allen was fired the day after the Longhorns season ended, volunteer coach Troy Tulowitzki opted not to return for a 4th season and assistant Philip Miller was recently re-assigned to an off field role. David Pierce took the first step on Thursday in putting his staff together for the 2023 season with the reported hire of Steve Rodriguez as hitting coach.
Rodriguez spent 7 seasons as the head coach at Baylor before resigning this past May following the 2022 season. Prior to his time in Waco, he sent 12 years as the head coach at Pepperdine. Rodriguez was a two time All-American for Pepperdine as a player and was a key part of the 1992 National Championship team. He went on to be drafted by the Boston Red Sox and made his major league debut in 1995. 

The dominoes continue to fall for Texas football following the commitment of 2023 five-star quarterback Arch Manning last week. On Tuesday, DeSoto product Johntay Cook II announced his commitment to the Longhorns, becoming the 17th member of the 2023 class.
With Cook's commitment, the wide receiver becomes Texas's ninth pledge in their 2023 recruiting class, and becomes the second highest-rated recruit in the class - trailing only Arch Manning. Furthermore, Cook is currently rated as the sixth-ranked wide receiver in the nation's 2023 recruiting cycle per the 247Sports Composite.
Prior to his announcement, the Dallas-area native had amassed 41 scholarship offers, choosing Texas over the likes of programs such as Alabama, Michigan and Texas A&M.
The 5'11" wide receiver is known for his quick route running and has become a key player for one of Texas's powerhouse high school football programs in DeSoto. Last season, Cook tallied 806 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns, ultimately helping DeSoto reach the quarterfinal round of the playoffs.