The Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday announced that pitching coach Ray Searage and bench coach Tom Prince will not return next season, and added the rest of the coaching staff will have its fate determined in the future.
“All other Major League coaches are candidates to remain on the big league staff pending the conclusion of the managerial and coaching staff hiring process,” the team stated in a release.
The Pirates on Sunday parted ways with manager Clint Hurdle after nine seasons. One of Hurdle’s first decisions after being named Pittsburgh manager in 2011 was promoting Searage from interim to full-time pitching coach. Searage had held the role since.
Among Searage’s most-noted accomplishments were helping the pitchers such as Edinson Volquez, J.A. Happ and Francisco Liriano revive their careers. He also oversaw construction of one of the best bullpens in baseball in recent years, though closer Felipe Vazquez is currently in jail, charged with multiple felonies that include sexual assault of a minor.
Prince had been the Pirates’ bench coach since 2017. He also spent the first seven seasons of his playing career with Pittsburgh.