photo: Dean Kiekhefer and Cooper Hjerpe (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
St. Louis Cardinals release
The St. Louis Cardinals announced today (Monday, December 11) that they have finalized their Major League coaching staff for the upcoming 2024 season, with two new additions announced, along with 10 returning coaches, and Oliver Marmol, who will be entering his third season as the Redbirds manager.
New additions to the staff for 2024 will be former Cardinals pitcher Dean Kiekhefer as Assistant Pitching Coach and Daniel “DC” MacLea as Major League Coordinator of Technology & Systems. The Cardinals announced Daniel Descalso as their new Bench Coach late last month.
Returning to the staff in their same roles next season will be Dusty Blake as Pitching Coach, Turner Ward as Hitting Coach, Brandon Allen as Assistant Hitting Coach, Julio Rangel as Assistant Pitching Coach/Bullpen, Patrick “Packy” Elkins (Game Day Planning Coach), Stubby Clapp (1st Base), Ron “Pop” Warner (3rd Base), Willie McGee (Coach), Jamie Pogue (Assistant Coach/Bullpen Coach) and Kleininger Teran (Bullpen Catcher).
Kiekhefer, 34, was drafted by the Cardinals in 2010 out of the University of Louisville and pitched in 26 games for St. Louis in 2016. The lefty reliever also pitched for the Oakland A’s in 2018. He first joined the Cardinals minor league staff in December of 2019 when he was hired as the Pitching Coach for State College (A) before the pandemic cancelled the 2020 minor league season. Kiekhefer was the Pitching Coach for Palm Beach (A) in 2021, and served as Assistant Pitching Coordinator for Player Development in 2022 and 2023.
MacLea has been a member of the Cardinals organization since 2018. He was the Technology Integration Coordinator for Player Development in 2022 & 2023, and served as a Performance Specialist from 2018 to 2021.
Brian Walton’s take
Continuity is definitely the word of the day.
Coming into 2023, the Cardinals had 12 coaches on the major league staff, 10 of whom are returning for 2024. Bench coach Joe McEwing was reassigned and replaced by Descalso.
Kiekhefer, who also coached in the 2021 Arizona Fall League, becomes the third pitching coach. While the position is new, the team did not fill Dusty Blake’s old job of pitching strategist when he was promoted to pitching coach prior to last season.
The third hitting coach in 2023 was Daniel Nicolaisen, who resigned late in the season. Elkins took over part of his responsibilities. MacLea’s position is new.
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