TCU baseball announces overhaul of coaching staff after missing NCAA Tournament
TCU baseball has announced multiple changes to head coach Kirk Saarloos’ staff.
The Horned Frogs hired Thomas Eshelman as their new pitching coach. He will replace longtime pitching coach Dave Lawn, who retired after the end of the season.
TCU also announced the addition of a new hitting coach, Danny-David Linahan, to replace Bill Mosiello.
The Horned Frogs will look to bounce back from a disappointing season in which they failed to reach the NCAA Tournament after being ranked No. 10 in the country in the preseason.
Eshelman makes his way to TCU from the Baltimore Orioles organization. He joined the Orioles as the upper-level pitching coordinator in February and was responsible for working with minor league pitchers at Triple-A Norfolk and Double-A Chesapeake.
Before joining the Orioles, Eshelman spent four seasons in the San Diego Padres organization. He was a pitching coach for Single-A Lake Elsinore in 2023 before moving up in 2024 to High-A Fort Wayne, where he spent two seasons.
Eshelman is a former major league who pitched in three seasons with the Orioles (2019-21).
Eshelman and Saarloos have history going back to when Saarloos recruited him to play at Cal State Fullerton in 2011-12.
“Kirk has been with me since the beginning of all this,” Eshelman said in a statement. “I was his first recruit at Cal State Fullerton. So, when he called, it was like going back in time and doing it all over again. TCU’s rich history and success is something I’ve experienced coming from Cal State Fullerton. I feel like Kirk and I share a lot of similarities. To be able to get an offer like this, to be able to coach here is something that I don’t take likely. It’s a humbling offer. At the same time, I’m hungry to be able to help this program have the success that it deserves.”
Linahan arrives from Texas State, where he helped the Bobcats earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Bobcats were one of the most prolific home run hitting teams in the country, ranking in the top 10 nationally with 116 home runs, a mark that also set a school and Sun Belt record. The squad also ranked in the top 40 nationally with 119 doubles.
Linahan also spent time with the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Dodgers.
“TCU Baseball has been one of the premier programs in college baseball, built on generations of players and coaches that have competed at the highest level,” Linahan said in a statement. “The opportunity to compete for championships, develop hitters and represent this university is something we’re extremely excited about. We are thrilled to return home to the Fort Worth area and do our part in adding to the legacy. We can’t wait to get started.”
Former star set to return?
TCU is also set to bring back a former star, as former Horned Frog Bryan Holaday is expected to join the staff as the next bench and catching coach, according to multiple reports.
Holaday was named first-team All-Mountain West and a second-team All-American in his final season with the Horned Frogs. Holaday played a key role in TCU reaching its first College World Series in 2010.
Holaday was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in 2010, made his MLB debut in 2012 and lasted in the league until 2021, including a stint with the Rangers in 2016.
TCU did not respond to a request for an interview with Saarloos last week.
