Auburn baseball and head coach Butch Thompson announced changes to the coaching staff Monday, including the addition of pitching coach Daron Schoenrock to coincide with the departure of Tim Hudson.
"The whole college baseball world recognizes Tim's enhanced legacy as our pitching coach the last three seasons," Thompson said. "At the end of the day, he earned his Auburn degree and helped lead our program back to the College World Series. No student-athlete has given more back to their university, and Tim's desire to work hard every day is an amazing example to respect and strive for.
"I could not be more excited to welcome my college pitching coach to our staff at Auburn," Thompson added. "Daron and his wife Carol have impacted so many along their baseball journey. He is an elite teacher with an incredible track record. Our pitchers will be cared for and developed at the highest rate possible in college baseball."
Schoenrock comes to the Plains with 38 years of coaching experience, including the last 18 seasons as the head coach at Memphis. His career also includes seven seasons as a pitching coach and recruiting coordinator in the Southeastern Conference at Kentucky (1998-99), Georgia (2000-01) and Mississippi State (2002-04).
"It is a tremendous honor to join Coach Thompson and the entire Auburn baseball family," Schoenrock said. "The culture he has built, the staff he has assembled, and the success they have achieved are second to none. I can't wait to build upon the outstanding groundwork that has been established for Auburn Tiger pitching by Coach Thompson and Coach Hudson. War Eagle!"
Following his three-year stint as the Auburn pitching coach, Hudson will serve as the head coach at Lee-Scott Academy, where his son is entering his senior year.
"Auburn University has been special to my family and I for nearly three decades, and I couldn't thank Butch and his staff more for the opportunity to give back to the program during the last three seasons," Hudson said. "Being able to help lead these young men back to Omaha was something I will cherish forever.
"We have two daughters attending Auburn this fall, and our son will be a senior in high school. It is time for me to devote my time and energy to my family during this important and busy season of their lives," Hudson added. "Auburn baseball is in great hands, and I look forward to cheering them on from Plainsman Park. War Eagle!"
Following his playing career at Tennessee Tech (1980-84), Schoenrock landed his first coaching gig as a graduate assistant at his alma mater for the 1985 season. He then served as a graduate assistant at Murray State from 1986-87 before becoming the head coach at Lincoln Memorial University from 1988-89.
Schoenrock and Thompson first crossed paths during his assistant coaching stint at Birmingham-Southern from 1990-97, where he served as Thompson's pitching coach from 1991-92 before becoming coaching colleagues from 1994-96.
From there, Schoenrock moved on to his aforementioned coaching stints in the SEC, helping lead Georgia to the 2001 College World Series, before eventually taking over as the head coach at Memphis on June 29, 2004. He led the Tigers to 463 wins and the 2007 NCAA Tournament. Schoenrock was also named the 2013 Conference USA Coach of the Year.
In his 38 years of coaching, Schoenrock has sent 111 players into professional baseball, including 68 pitchers. Nine of his former players have made it to Major League Baseball, including 2006 Cy Young Award Winner and three-time All-Star Brandon Webb, six-time All-Star Jonathan Papelbon, who ranks 11th on the MLB career saves list (368), and 10-year MLB veteran Paul Maholm, who was the eighth overall pick in 2003.
Along with his on-field coaching duties, Schoenrock was the Chairman of the Conference USA Baseball Coaches from 2008-13 and Chairman of the American Athletic Conference Baseball Coaches from 2014-18. He has also served on the American Baseball Coaches Association Lefty Gomez Award Committee (2003-11) and NCAA Baseball Regional Advisory Committee (2014-17).
Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and raised in Fayetteville, Tennessee, Schoenrock earned his bachelor's degree from Tennessee Tech in 1984 and master's degree from Murray State in 1987. He is married to Carol Cawood Schoenrock, and they have two sons, Erik and Bret.
In Hudson's three seasons in the Auburn dugout, the pitching staff ranked in the top 50 in the country in ERA on two occasions and struck out 1,330 batters in 1,202.1 innings, including a program record 666 strikeouts in 2022.
Despite the condensed format of the MLB Draft during the last three years, Hudson helped mentor eight pitchers who went on to be selected in the draft, including five who were taken in the top five rounds. Seven of the eight pitchers selected were previously undrafted, and four more former pitchers signed free agent contracts.
With Auburn's recent run to Omaha in June, the team's second appearance in the last three postseasons, Hudson became the first Auburn player to make a College World Series appearance as both a player and a coach.
What They’re Saying About Coach Schoenrock
Ron Polk, 31-year SEC head coach at Mississippi State (1976-97, 2002-08), Georgia (2000-01)
“He’s a hands-on type of guy. He just loves working with his pitchers. Everywhere he has been pitchers have thrived. He has a very good track record of developing pitchers for the next level. All the pitchers I had loved him. He has a very good temperament to him. He explains things very well. He just knows his business. I think he’s going to be a great addition to Auburn just as Tim Hudson was for the last few years.”
Brandon Webb, former Kentucky pitcher (1998-2000) and 2006 CY Young Award winner
“I began my collegiate career at Kentucky in 1998 when Coach ‘Rock’ started coaching there after coming over from Birmingham-Southern. It could not have been a batter match for me as far as a player/coach relationship. Coach ‘Rock’s’ attitude, temperament, approachability, and coaching style were right up my alley. He had new drills that I felt took me to the next level.
“Auburn has captured a gem in Coach ‘Rock’. He is the best of the best, and I’m forever grateful our paths crossed when they did because he made such a huge impact on my baseball career.”
Paul Maholm, former Mississippi State pitcher (2001-03) and 10-year MLB veteran
“Congrats to Coach ‘Rock’ on the job at Auburn. Through the years Coach ‘Rock’ helped me develop both as a pitcher and a person and challenged me to be my best on a daily basis.
“Even after leaving Mississippi State and starting my pro career I kept in touch, and he helped me throughout my pro career with any and all questions I ever had. He’s a coach who will be invested in all of the players both on and off the field. He will help them grow and expect them to be great in wherever life leads them.”
