Mariners announce Minor League coaching staff

The Mariners on Thursday announced their 2013 Minor League coaching staff, which remains largely unchanged from last season.

The organization will bring back six managers, including Daren Brown, who starts his seventh season at the helm of Triple-A Tacoma, where he broke the franchise record for wins in May. The other returning skippers are Jim Pankovits (Double-A Jackson), Eddie Menchaca (Class A Clinton), Rob Mummau (short-season Class A Everett), Claudio Almonte (Dominican Summer League) and Russell Vasquez (Venezuelan Summer League).

Darrin Garner will take over the Mariners' Arizona Rookie League affiliate after serving as a Minor League infield and baserunning coordinator last season. James Horner returns to manage high Class A High Desert, where he earned 2009 California League Manager of the Year honors in 2009 before leaving the organization following the next season. Chris Prieto will skipper rookie-level Pulaski after managing the past two years in the Padres system.

Howard Johnson headlines the other additions to the Minor League staff, as he assumes the hitting-coach role at Tacoma. Johnson, who notched 228 home runs in 14 big league seasons, was the Mets' hitting coach from 2008-10. The only new face at Jackson is pitching coach Terry Clark, who spent the past two seasons in the same role for the Rangers' Triple-A affiliate.