Former National Assistant Coach of the Year and 2021 NCAA College World Series Champion Jake Gautreau has been named an assistant coach and hitting coach for the East Carolina baseball program according to an announcement by head coach Cliff Godwin.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Jake, his wife Erin, and their two boys Liam and Weston to our ECU Baseball Family," Godwin said. "With 15-plus years of coaching experience, he will make an immediate impact on our program, not only in recruiting, but also helping to continue the development of the young men on our team. He is a tireless worker that loves teaching, which led him to being named D1Baseball's 2019 Assistant Coach of the Year, making three trips to the College World Series in Omaha and winning the 2021 National Championship. We are very fortunate that Jake and his family are a part of our baseball program."
Gautreau comes to Greenville after spending the previous eight seasons at Mississippi State (2018-25) were he served as the hitting and infield coach, as well as the recruiting coordinator. During his tenure, he helped the program to four NCAA Regional and three CWS appearances, which included a national championship in 2021. The Bulldogs posted 282 victories during that time frame including three 40-plus win campaigns and topped the 50-win mark in 2019 (52) and 2021 (50). In all, he worked with nine players that have garnered All-America or Freshman All-America honors that tallied nearly 40 team inclusions.
On top of his National Assistant Coach of the Year honor from D1Baseball in 2019, the McAllen, Texas native led all Texas high schoolers in home runs as a prep junior, earned All-America honors each of his three seasons at Tulane before the San Diego Padres took him with the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft. As a professional, he rated as a Top 10 prospect in the San Diego Padres organization before transitioning into coaching in 2009 and earning Perfect Game's 'Assistant Ready to Lead' distinction in 2013.
The Conference USA Hall of Famer began his coaching career at his alma mater, Tulane, and he spent five years (2009-14) as an assistant coach before serving as interim head coach during the second half of the 2014 season – his final year at Tulane. Following his stint with the Green Wave, Gautreau spent three years as Certified Player Agent for the Boras Corporation. During his time with the Boras Corporation, he identified and evaluated talent and recruited premier amateur baseball players from across the country, along with helping them prepare for the MLB Draft.
His nine-year career (2001-08) in professional baseball saw him spend time with the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, and New York Mets organizations. Gautreau reached as high as Triple-A during his professional career after being drafted with the No. 14 overall pick of the 2001 Major League Baseball Draft. During his time in professional baseball, Gautreau moved from third base to second base and was named the No. 3 second base prospect by Baseball America.
During his collegiate career (1999-2001), Gautreau helped Tulane to 142 victories in three seasons and the program's first College World Series berth in 2001. In his junior season, he featured a .355 batting average, 44 extra-base hits, and an NCAA-leading 96 RBI. He was a Golden Spikes Award finalist and a first-team All-America selection as a junior. A two-time Conference USA Player of the Year, Gautreau was named the Conference USA Player of the Decade (1990-2000) in 2005 and was elected to the Conference USA Hall of Fame as a part of the initial induction class in 2019. One of the most decorated players in the history of Tulane baseball, Gautreau was inducted into the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007.
Gautreau earned seven All-America honors during his time at Tulane, garnering second-team All-America as a sophomore and third-team laurels as a freshman. He was also a first-team Freshman All-American during the 1999 season. Gautreau finished his collegiate career with a .344 average with 58 home runs, 103 walks, 200 runs scored, 233 RBI, and 275 hits in three collegiate seasons.
He was also a member of the 2000 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. Gautreau hit .348 (32-for-92) with seven doubles and four home runs to go with 20 RBI and a .576 slugging percentage. His time with Team USA also included the 2000 XXI Haarlem Baseball Week title, where he earned MVP honors in helping the Red, White, and Blue to a 6-0 record. That summer, the Collegiate National Team posted a 27-3-1 record.
Gautreau and his wife, the former Erin Dobyanski, have two sons, William and Weston. Erin was a four-year letter winner for Tulane's women's volleyball program. The McAllen, Texas, native earned his Bachelor of Arts in media arts from Tulane in 2011.
