Gautreau to Join Tulane Baseball Coaching Staff
Jul 1, 2009 | Baseball
July 1, 2009
NEW ORLEANS- Former Tulane baseball great Jake Gautreau is returning to the university as the newest assistant coach of the Green Wave club, head coach Rick Jones announced today. Gautreau was a three-year starter at third base for the Green Wave baseball team from 1999-2001.
"I'm extremely excited because Tulane was like a second home to me," Gautreau said. "The three years I spent playing there were some of the best times of my life and to know that I get to come back and work with Coach Jones, Chad Sutter and Jack Cressend is exciting. I can't wait to start working with the team and do what I can to make sure Tulane baseball sees continued success."
During his stellar career, he helped the team to a combined record of 142-50-1, claim the 2001 Conference USA regular-season championship, a pair of C-USA Tournament titles, three trips to the NCAA Regionals and a berth in the 2001 College World Series. Gautreau earned first-team Freshman All-America honors from Baseball America in 1999, and claimed second-team All-America accolades by the American Baseball Coaches Association in 2000. He received first-team All-America recognition by the ABCA, Baseball America, Baseball Weekly and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers in 2001. He was a Golden Spikes finalist as a junior when he led the nation in RBI (96) while hitting .355 with 23 doubles and 21 homers in 69 games.
"As a player, Jake had a major role in our program's ascension to national prominence," Jones said. "I'm very confident that he will have that same impact as a coach. While his primary responsibility will be to coach the infielders, he will also assist Chad Sutter with the hitters in addition to coaching first base for us."
Gautreau picked up C-USA All-Freshman Team honors as a rookie in 1999 before claiming first-team All C-USA and C-USA Player of the Year honors in both 2000 and 2001, and was selected as the Conference USA Player of the Decade in 2005. He was drafted in the first round (14th overall) of the 2001 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft by the San Diego Padres, and was named to International League Midseason All-Star Team in 2005. Gautreau was the starting second baseman for the New Orleans Zephyrs (Triple-A Affiliate of the New York Mets) in 2007.
"He was a team captain his sophomore and junior years and played every inning of every game in his three years at Tulane," Jones said. "I'm excited and confident that his experience and leadership as a player will translate to his role as a coach and I'm sure he will have an immediate positive impact on our program."
Gautreau and his wife, Erin Dobyanski, a former Tulane volleyball standout, will make their home in New Orleans, La.
