For years, Butch Thompson’s name would surface in coaching searches.
Regarded as one of the top pitching coaches in the nation and the Baseball America and ABCA assistant coach of the year in 2014, Thompson found himself on the short list when Auburn dismissed Sunny Golloway in October.
John Cohen, Mississippi State’s head coach, told The Clarion-Ledger that the Tigers would be crazy not to hire Thompson, his pitching coach for seven seasons. In addition to helping the Bulldogs reach four NCAA tournaments – including a runner-up finish at the College World Series in 2013 – Thompson spent three years as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Auburn.
Auburn made it official on Oct. 22 by hiring Thompson, who totaled 13 years as an assistant in the SEC.
The timing of the Auburn opening was unexpected. What made Auburn the right fit and the right time for your first head coaching job?
Being here before, I knew how great of a place Auburn was, the university, the baseball program, and the people. Being in the SEC as an assistant coach for so long, I feel like this is the best conference in America. I’ve loved the association and having the opportunity to lead a program in our conference is the opportunity of a lifetime.
How tough was it to leave Mississippi State, especially since the opening came about in the fall?
It’s always hard because it’s the people. It’s the coaches that you work with, that we were with for seven-and-a-half years. It’s the players, that trust you, that you develop lifelong relationships with and you are committed to their development. Because of those relationships, most of the people there were excited for me to get the opportunity, and I am thankful to Mississippi State because I probably don’t get the opportunity at Auburn if not for those folks.
What are a few of your philosophies you’ve tried to implement with your new team?
To care about one another. To be fundamentally sound. To understand the identity of Auburn University and our baseball program. Finally, I think we have done a great job telling them how great a program they represent. We brought people in from the past. We’ve made them aware of some sincere numbers that give a lot of credibility to our program. We have tried to give them a history lesson of how great a program they play for.
You’ve coached against the Tigers for more than a dozen years. What are some of the keys to building a consistent winner?
Understanding our scholarship allotment and seeing it as a challenge and not a problem. Finding ways to build a unique identity. Not trying to look like other teams in our league and trying to figure out some pieces, some ways to recruit, some ways to be great at developing players.
What are some of Auburn’s strengths heading into the season?
Our position players have been a strength. The only reason why I say position players is because we have so many veterans. They have so many at-bats and have played so many games in our league. They’ve prepared well. They know how to navigate through at-bats. Because that position player group is so strong, defense is probably No. 2. Our ability to play defense. Our pitching staff has some returners that have had success. We have some new pieces that need to be ready and develop through this year. Developing pitching depth will probably define our success as a ball club this year. Lastly, every day that we’ve been on the field, we have worked hard to base run and not just try to have a group of great hitters, but a group of position players and a lineup that produces runs and puts pressure on the defense.