Link to Article on The Red & Black
By Olivia Sayer
Georgia freshman Tre Phelps (36) and assistant coach Brock Bennett stand at first base during the first game of the NCAA Athens Regional between Army and Georgia at Foley Field in Athens, Georgia, on Friday, May 31, 2024. Georgia won 8-7. (Photo/Mady Mertens; MadyMertensPhotography)
Georgia baseball hired former Kentucky assistant coach Nick Ammirati to the same role, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. He will replace Josh Simpson, who rejoined LSU’s staff in June.
Ammirati brings an impressive offensive acumen with him. In 2024, he coached Kentucky to an SEC-leading 120 stolen bases. In conference play, the Wildcats led the league in batting average, on base percentage, runs scored, hits, doubles and RBI.
Kentucky head coach Nick Mingione praised Ammirati for his versatile mind.
“After yesterday’s game, I paid Nick Ammirati a lot of credit in front of our team,” Mingione said during the Lexington Regional. “He put on 11 different plays. 11 in one game. There’s a lot that goes into it, but it also forces our opponents to prepare for us.”
Ammirati will also help bolster Georgia’s defense. In 2023, the Wildcats led the league with a .984 fielding percentage. The number set Kentucky’s school record for the second straight year. It slightly dipped to .980 last season, but the Wildcats still displayed a solid defensive effort with two players making the All-SEC Defensive Team.
For comparison, the Bulldogs finished with a .973 fielding percentage with 55 errors in 60 games. The number ranked 12th out of 14 SEC teams and loomed large in the postseason, where each out is that much more valuable.
Away from the field, Ammirati is a top-notch recruiter, which is vital in the new world of college sports. Georgia heavily utilizes the transfer portal, and the addition of Ammirati will likely strengthen its case to recruits.
“We’re excited to add Nick to our staff, as he’s a dynamic recruiter and instructor,” head coach Wes Johnson said. “Plus, he’s experienced success at every level of his baseball playing and coaching career.”
Ammirati began his playing career as a national champion catcher with Seton Hall Prep. A native of New Jersey, Ammirati was the high school battery mate of former Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello and started on a Seton Hall prep team that went 33-1 in 2007.
The Miami Marlins selected Ammirati in the 46th round of the 2009 MLB Draft, but he opted to attend college at Seton Hall University. After a successful season, Ammirati transferred to Mississippi State and received his master’s in public relations.
On the diamond, Ammirati was the starting catcher for a Mississippi State team that finished runner-up of the 2013 College World Series. He was also teammates with current Georgia assistant coach Will Coggin, with the two later reuniting on Kentucky’s coaching staff.
In five seasons as a Division-1 assistant, Ammirati had 22 players drafted with three already making their MLB debuts (through 2022). Now, he will bring his expertise to an up-and-coming Georgia team looking for its first College World Series appearance in 16 years.