Bats Coaching Staff Announced for 2021 Season

Louisville, KY - The Cincinnati Reds and Louisville Bats have announced the club's coaching staff for the 2021 season. Pat Kelly will return to lead the club in 2021. Joining Kelly will be pitching coach Seth Etherton, hitting coach Alex Pelaez, bench coach Kevin Mahar, strength & conditioning coach Justin Bucko, and athletic trainer Steve Gober.

PAT KELLY - Manager

Pat Kelly is entering his second season at the Bats manager. Kelly began the 2018 season as the skipper at Louisville but was promoted to the Major League staff on April 19, when Jim Riggleman was named the Reds' interim manager. In 2019 he returned as manager of the Chattanooga Lookouts, where he previously served as manager from 1993-1994. From 2015-2017, Pat managed the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. He also managed in the Reds' system at Bakersfield in 2014 and from 2011-2013 at Billings, where he was 2012 Pioneer League Manager of the Year. In 2010 Kelly was the manager at Lynchburg, and prior to that he spent the majority of 3 seasons as manager of the Rookie GCL Reds as well as director of Florida on-field operations and as a roving catching instructor. He began those duties in 2007 but left the post on July 3 of that season when Reds interim manager Pete Mackanin hired him as a bench coach. Kelly returned to his operations position full-time in 2008. In both 2010 and 2016, Pat was named Puerto Rican Winter League Manager of the Year. Kelly has spent 31 seasons managing in the minor leagues for 16 teams, including Richmond (2003-05), Syracuse (1999-2000), Ottawa (1997-98), Harrisburg (1995-96), Chattanooga (1993-94, 2019), Indianapolis (1991-92), Rockford (1991), Las Vegas (1990), Wichita (1988-89), Reno (1987) and Charleston (1986). He also served as pitching coach with Glens Falls (1985), the GCL White Sox ('84) and Niagara Falls ('83). Kelly was a catcher in the Angels, Blue Jays, Braves and White Sox systems and reached the majors in 1980 with Toronto.

SETH ETHERTON - Pitching Coach

Seth Etherton is entering his first season as Louisville's pitching coach. In 2016, Etherton joined the Cincinnati Reds organization as the pitching coach for the Billings Mustangs and spent the previous two seasons with the Dayton Dragons.

ALEX PELAEZ - Hitting Coach

Alex Pelaez is entering his first season as Louisville's hitting coach. From 2014-2016 Pelaez served as the hitting coach for the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. From 2011-2013, he was the hitting coach for the Dayton Dragons and for the Billings Mustangs in 2010. In 2009, his first season as a professional coach, he was the hitting instructor for the Rookie GCL Reds.

KEVIN MAHAR - Bench Coach

Kevin Mahar is entering his first season as Louisville's bench coach. From 2017-2019 Mahar served as the Dayton Dragons bench coach. After working in private business in 2016, Mahar returned to the Reds organization in 2017. Kevin was the hitting coach Daytona Tortugas in 2015, a role he also held for the Billings Mustangs in 2013 and 2014.

JUSTIN BUCKO - Strength & Conditioning Coach

The 2021 season will be Justin Bucko's first season as Louisville's strength & conditioning coach. He was in Class A Dayton in 2019, and in 2018 he served as strength and conditioning coach at Rookie Billings. Following an internship in the Olympic sports department at the University of Maryland, he worked for the AZL Reds in 2017.

STEVE GOBER - Athletic Trainer

Steve Gober is in his sixth season in the organization, all with the Bats. For three seasons from 2013-2015 he was an assistant athletic trainer on the Washington Nationals' Major League staff after serving the previous 7 seasons (2006- 2012) as that organization's minor league medical and rehabilitation coordinator. Gober also has been involved in the development and implementation of rehab programs for Major League players.