PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates announced their complete Major League coaching staff for the 2026 season on Thursday, featuring five newcomers to the dugout alongside nine returning coaches.
Manager Don Kelly and General Manager Ben Cherington revealed the coaching lineup, highlighting their focus on enhancing both on-field performance and overall team development.
Kelly emphasized the importance of diverse perspectives and postseason experience within the new staff. The coaching team aims to address the club’s challenges and elevate the team to a higher level of competition.
Kristopher Negrón has been appointed as the bench coach after contributing as the third base coach for the AL West champion Seattle Mariners in 2025. Before that, he was the first base coach for the Mariners for three seasons from 2022 to 2024, and he managed the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate to a championship in 2021.
Bill Murphy, previously the pitching coach for the Houston Astros, will serve the same role with the Pirates. During his tenure with the Astros from 2022 to 2025, Murphy assisted a pitching staff that secured a league-leading 3.61 ERA.
Joining Murphy, Thomas Whitsett has been named the assistant pitching coach. Whitsett was formerly the pitching coach at Sugar Land and worked as the assistant minor league pitching coordinator for Houston.
Tony Beasley returns for his third stint with the Pirates as the third base coach. Beasley spent eleven seasons with the Texas Rangers in the same role before rejoining the Pirates, where he had previously served from 2008 to 2010.
Shawn Bowman has been appointed as the Major League field coordinator after managing the Indianapolis Indians in 2025. His previous roles within the organization included assistant director of coaching and player development.
Luke Novosel has been promoted to head Major League athletic trainer following his previous role as the team’s Major League physical therapist and assistant athletic trainer in 2025.
Joel Harris joins the staff as the associate head Major League athletic trainer, bringing experience from various roles with the Boston Red Sox.
Kara Wiggins, previously with the Toronto Blue Jays for six seasons, joins as the Major League dietitian, while John Regan has been promoted to assistant Major League dietitian after serving as an assistant in the organization.
Ryan Jackson has advanced to the Major League staff as the mental performance coordinator after working as the upper-level mental performance coordinator in 2025.
As 2026 unfolds, Don Kelly expressed optimism about the season, stating, “We have talked a lot as an organization about being better on and off the field. We are constantly working on measures that will allow us to take our game to the next level.”
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