LAS CRUCES, N.M. – New Mexico State University Athletics Director Dr. McKinley Boston announced on Friday, July 25 that Brian Green will be the 10th head coach in NM State baseball program history.
Green, a graduate of the 1995 class at New Mexico State, comes back to his alma mater after coaching for six seasons as an assistant at Kentucky. In 2014, he directed the best offense in college baseball and in Kentucky history. Green was UK’s offensive coordinator and infield defensive coach.
“I am pleased to welcome Coach Green back home to lead the Aggie baseball program to a shared vision of excellence. Coach Green has prepared himself well for this opportunity by working for and under very successful Division I coaches,” said Dr. Boston. “I believed with the baseball knowledge, recruiting ability and familiarity with NM State, he is ready to hit the ground running. He has indicated that the $ 1.4 million facility upgrades will certainly enhance recruiting as well for providing for an enhanced quality of experience for our baseball team.”
During his time in Lexington, Green guided one of the top offensive units in the nation, with the Wildcats consistently boasting a well-rounded approach among the Southeastern Conference leaders. Green implemented an offensive style that puts emphasis on speed and athleticism, with an aggressive approach at the plate and on the base paths, a system that proved to brilliantly foreshadow the NCAA change in bats.
“What an incredibly emotional day! I would like to first thank Dr Boston, Herb Taylor, and the selection committee for a truly first class interview process, as well as to President Carruthers and the athletic department for welcoming myself, Becki, Emily and Zoe to Las cruces, a place very special to our family,” Green said. “It has always been my goal to become a head coach, but it also has always been my dream to someday return to my alma mater as its lead guy. All I know of New Mexico State and Las Cruces are special and great memories. As a former player, coach, and Aggie graduate, it will be an honor to defend the choice made by Dr. Boston, of which my family will forever be grateful.”
Green was a four-year assistant coach at UCLA before going to Kentucky as one of the top hitting instructors in college baseball. A tenacious recruiter, Green had tremendous success while on the west coast as the recruiting coordinator with traditional power UCLA, where he recruited the bulk of the Bruins recent national championship.
“We will have three goals coming in. One will be to recruit and develop at a high level. The second will be to teach at a high level as a staff that communicates well within a system. The third will be to inspire our community, by becoming visible as a staff and team and getting our kids to understand that we will be competing for more than ourselves,” said Green. “All of those things are great goals, but at the forefront of those goals will be to establish a vision based around team culture, core values, and goal setting and measurement.”
Green’s stops include Hawai’i, Oregon State, San Diego, Chapman University, Cal Poly-Pomona, Riverside Community College and New Mexico State.
Green’s dynamic offense at Kentucky last year led the Southeastern Conference in eight categories, ranking in the top three in the SEC in 10 of the 13 major categories. UK led the league in average (.299), slugging (.446), on-base percentage (.398), runs (472), RBI (423), homers (60) and hit batters (109). UK also ranked second in the SEC in hits (655) and doubles (121), while ranking third in walks (268).
Green is married to the former Becki Francis and the couple has two daughters, Emily Rae (10) and Zoe Addison (four).
“We can’t wait to get started, and I’m confident that our coaching staff will not only energize our kids, but our community as well,” Green said. “I am truly blessed today, and I can’t wait to finalize our staff, and to get to know our players so we can begin on our journey together.”
