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A new era of Washington Huskies baseball begins in 2025 with several significant changes. The team is transitioning from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten, and it will compete under new head coach Eddie Smith. Smith, who has strong ties to the Pacific Northwest, brings fresh leadership to Montlake.
Smith takes over after Jason Kelly left the Huskies following a disappointing 19-31-1 season in 2024. Kelly’s tenure ended with an eight-game losing streak. He moved on to become a pitching coach at Texas A&M in the SEC. Now, Smith has the opportunity to reshape the program.
Before coming to Washington, Smith had a quick turnaround at Utah Valley. He took over a team that went 10-47 in 2021 and led them to a 34-24 record in just two seasons. Smith has a track record of success at several top programs, including LSU, Virginia, and Notre Dame, where he built strong offensive teams.
At Washington, Smith aims to build a coaching staff focused on developing local talent from the Pacific Northwest.
Washington Huskies Baseball Coaching Staff: Who Will Lead the Team in 2025?
To help build the Huskies, Smith hired Connor Lambert as the pitching coach. Lambert, formerly at Portland, helped lead his pitching staff to the No. 2 ERA in the West Coast Conference and No. 19 nationally in 2024.
Anthony Gilich will serve as Washington’s “defensive coordinator,” a unique title for a baseball program. Gilich joins the Huskies after working at Arizona State and has extensive coaching experience, including at the junior college level and the University of Puget Sound.
Mike Gange, a familiar face for Husky fans, will continue as the recruiting coordinator. Gange, now in his third season at UW, has played a key role in both scouting talent and improving the team’s offensive performance.
Off the field, former Ohio State director of operations Damon Lessler joins the Huskies as the director of player development. UW alumnus Jacob Hatloe returns as the director of operations.
Smith has assembled an impressive group of coaches. His focus on developing talent from the Pacific Northwest could lead to an exciting future for the Huskies baseball program. Fans will be eager to see how this new coaching staff shapes the team in the coming seasons.
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