The Pirates and manager Don Kelly announced their 2026 coaching staff Thursday, a group that will feature five new members.
Three of those five had been previously reported: pitching coach Bill Murphy, bench coach Kristopher Negrón and third-base coach Tony Beasley. Kelly talked about that new trio in November, while Murphy spoke with MLB.com at the Winter Meetings.
Also coming to the staff are assistant pitching coach Thomas Whitsett and Major League field coordinator Shawn Bowman. Chris Truby, who joined the Major League staff last May after Kelly was named manager, will be the infield coach.
Eight coaches from last year’s staff will return in the same roles: first-base coach Tarrik Brock, catching coach Jordan Comadena, hitting coach Matt Hague, bullpen catcher Raúl Hernandez, assistant hitting coaches Christian Marrera and Jonny Tucker, translator and assistant coach Stephen Morales and bullpen coach Miguel Perez.
“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,” said Kelly in a released statement. “We believe this group will help us accomplish that. We have added some unique perspectives, postseason experience and success, and an enormous amount of baseball knowledge to our staff. I am excited to navigate the 2026 season with this group.”
Whitsett, like Murphy, is coming from the Astros’ system, where he was the assistant Minor League pitching coordinator in 2023 and pitching coach of their Triple-A affiliate at Sugar Land in 2024. He also coached in the Astros’ system in 2022 and served as the director of player development for pitchers at the University of Arizona in 2021.
Bowman spent most of last season as the manager for Triple-A Indianapolis, taking over the job after Truby was moved to the Major League staff. Prior to that, he spent three seasons as the Minor League field coordinator from 2022-2024 before serving in dual roles last year as the assistant director of coaching and player development.
The Pirates also announced changes to their Major League sports medicine and performance staff. Luke Novosel has been promoted to head Major League athletic trainer after spending last season as the team’s physical therapist and assistant athletic trainer. Joel Harris and Tyler Brooks will join the staff as Major League assistant athletic trainers.
Alan Burr has been promoted to head Major League strength coach, while Glenn Nutting has been named the assistant Major League strength and conditioning coach after being Indianapolis’ strength and conditioning coach last year. Kara Wiggins has joined the organization as the team’s Major League dietician after spending the last six years in that role with the Blue Jays, with John Regan as the assistant Major League dietician. Ryan Jackson has been promoted to the Major League staff as the mental performance coordinator after spending the 2025 season as the organization’s upper-level mental performance coordinator.
Additionally, Jeff Branson, who was the hitting coach from 2014-2018 and the assistant hitting coach in 2013, is rejoining the organization as a special advisor of hitting development.