Tadlock elevates Hughes, Gutierrez into new roles
LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech head baseball coach Tim Tadlock announced on Monday a pair of changes within his staff in conjunction with new NCAA legislation taking effect, which permits a third full-time assistant coach across all of Division I baseball.
Joe Hughes, a charter staff member under Tadlock at Texas Tech, has been promoted to assistant coach from his post as director of operations. Meanwhile, Eric Gutierrez, who has served as the volunteer assistant coach for the Red Raiders since 2019 has moved into the director of operations role vacated by Hughes.
“We moved Eric Gutierrez into the director of ops role which will allow him to keep evolving as a division I coach,” said head coach Tim Tadlock. “Joseph Hughes and I had an agreement all the way back to 11 years ago when we all first came here, basically said if a coaching position ever became open, he’d definitely be considered, he’s going to be good at whatever he does, and he’s been doing a good job so far.”
Hughes’ relationship with Tadlock dates to the beginning of his collegiate playing career at Grayson County College (2004-05) when Tadlock served as the head coach of the program. Hughes then reunited with Tadlock at Oklahoma where he would be a two-year starter for the Sooners during Tadlock’s tenure as an assistant coach at the school. Hughes served as a student assistant coach with the Oklahoma baseball program in 2007 and served as a graduate assistant at OU in 2011, with a stint with professional baseball in between. Hughes was named director of operations for Texas Tech baseball on July 17, 2012, shortly after Tadlock was named the ninth head baseball coach in school history.
In addition to being responsible for the baseball program’s day-to-day operations and overseeing the needs of each baseball student-athlete, Hughes handled on-campus recruiting duties. He aided the Red Raiders’ rise in recruiting on the national level as the Red Raiders have owned 11-straight top 25 recruiting classes, including three of the highest-ranked recruiting classes in school history.
Gutierrez recently completed his fifth season as a volunteer assistant coach under Tadlock, but his Texas Tech connection runs much deeper, revered by fans as a decorated four-year standout first baseman who helped guide the Red Raiders to a pair of College World Series appearances. The former All-American joined the Red Raiders as a freshman in 2013 and racked up a .302 career batting average behind 264 hits, including 59 doubles, five triples and 36 homers, leaving the collegiate ranks with a .302/.423/.505 line. Texas Tech has reached the College World Series three times while Gutierrez has been associated with the program, going in 2014 and 2016 as a student-athlete before returning in 2019 as a volunteer assistant coach.
The Division I Council voted on Jan. 11 to eliminate the voluntary coach designation across Division I, instead including those coaches within a new limit of four countable coaches in baseball. The new limit was set to take effect July 1.
–TECH–
Release provided MATT BURKHOLDER Texas Tech Athletics
