Southwestern College Athletic Director Matt Shelton has selected Kevin Frady to lead the Moundbuilder baseball program. Frady will become the first varsity baseball coach in Southwestern College since 1950. He will be formally introduced at a press conference and meet-and-greet Friday at 9:30 a.m. in Stewart Field House.  The public is invited to attend.

Frady comes to Southwestern after a one-year stint at NCAA Div. II West Texas A&M University, where he managed recruiting, offensive development and game management for the Buffs, while working directly with catchers and outfielders. West Texas A&M posted a 36-20 overall record with Frady on its staff. 

“I’m very excited to welcome Kevin to our staff,” Shelton said. “He brings experience in all facets of the game, and exemplifies the kind of Builder Spirit I look for in the hiring process.”

Prior to West Texas A&M, Frady spent a season at NCAA Div. II Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo., where he was the team’s hitting, catching and bench coach. He spent the 2014 season as an assistant coach at Independence Community College, and spent that summer as an assistant coach with the Kitsap BlueJackets (Bremerton, Wash.) of the West Coast Collegiate League. That summer under Frady’s guidance, the University of San Francisco’s Ryan Matranga saw a 100-point improvement in his batting average and earned all-conference honors as a catcher.

From 2006-10, Frady was an assistant coach under Ritch Price at the University of Kansas, where he helped lead the Jayhawks to the Corvallis (Ore.) Regional in 2006, and the Chapel Hill (N.C.) regional in 2009. He coached first base for Kansas, and oversaw skill development with the team’s catchers. A total of 26 players were drafted during Frady’s tenure at Kansas.

“Kevin brings energy, passion, work ethic and an outstanding knowledge of the game to the ballpark every day,” University of Kansas Head Baseball Coach Ritch Price said. “It was a pleasure to have him on my staff for five years.”

Frady worked in professional baseball from 1999-2001, serving as an area scouting supervisor for the New York Mets , where he was responsible for evaluating amateur prospects for the annual draft. 

“Having experience as a player, a scout and a coach at all levels, Kevin has the skill set that will allow him to be able to roll from day one,” Shelton said. “He has a tall task in front of him, but I’m excited to see how it will all take shape. I can’t wait to see him hit the ground running as he assembles our first varsity baseball program.”

A native of Edmonds, Wash., Frady completed his bachelor’s degree in leadership studies from Bellevue University in 2013. He was married on July 15, to his wife Julie. They have one son, Will. 

Southwestern will begin competition as a varsity program during the 2017-18 season.