EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State baseball head coach Jake Boss announced Monday that former Spartan great Jonathan Roof has joined the MSU staff as a student assistant coach.
“We are thrilled to have Jonathan Roof join our coaching staff. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience from his professional baseball career that will be most beneficial to our current players as they continue to develop and progress,” Boss said. “Most importantly, Jonathan is a Spartan and has a passion for Michigan State baseball. When a former player gives back to the program it means a great deal to the current players and, much like Jordan Keur in his role, it validates what Michigan State baseball means to all of us involved with the program.”
Roof is the second former Spartan on Boss’ staff, joining Jordan Keur.
“I’m honored and excited to join Coach Boss and his staff, and return to the Spartan baseball family. I learned a great deal from Coach Boss during my time as a player and I’m anxious to learn from him as a member of his coaching staff. I’m very appreciative to the administration for this opportunity to work with Spartan baseball and I’m ready to do everything I can to help Michigan State contend for a Big Ten Championship,” Roof said.
During his time as a three-year letterwinner for the Spartans, the Paducah, Kentucky native started all 160 games he played in during his three-year career. Roof then bypassed his senior season of eligibility after getting drafted in the eighth round (No. 256 overall) of the 2010 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft by the Texas Rangers. At the time, he was the highest Spartan drafted since Bob Malek was chosen in the fourth round in 2002.
As a Spartan, Roof hit .299 for his career, registering 188 hits, with 31 doubles, five triples, seven home runs, 95 RBI and 31 stolen bases. Defensively, Roof had a .948 career fielding percentage with 481 assists.
In his 2010 junior season, Roof ranked tied for fifth in the Big Ten Conference in the regular season with 53 runs scored and hit .317 with four homers and 43 RBIs. Roof also collected 72 hits, 16 stolen bases, 13 doubles and owned a .372 on-base percentage.
During the regular season, the slick fielding shortstop led the league in assists (173) and tied for fifth in fielding double plays (43); both of those marks were school single-season records at the time.
For his efforts in 2010, Roof became the first Spartan since 2006 to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors. Roof was also selected in the MLB Draft out of high school in the 39th round by the Boston Red Sox.
Roof spent six seasons in the minor leagues, playing in the Boston Red Sox system, between their AA team, the Portland Sea Dogs and their AAA affiliate, the Pawtucket Red Sox. Roof posted a .254 career average in his six seasons, belting 18 home runs.
Roof’s brother Eric was also a three-year letterwinner for the Spartans from 2007-10 and was captain his senior season. After a three-year career in the minors, Eric coached at MSU during the 2013-14 seasons. Eric Roof is entering his third season as an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan University. Shawn Roof is the oldest of the brothers and played at Illinois and also played in the minors for six seasons. Their father, Gene Roof, played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos in the 1980s, and is currently a coach in the Detroit Tigers organization as the outfield/baserunning coordinator.
