Former Major League Baseball players who coach high school teams

When Major League Baseball players retire from the game, many try to stay involved by coaching at the Major League level. But with only 30 professional teams and their minor league affiliates, spots on the coaching staffs are still limited.

That's not the case at the high school level, however, as nearly 15,000 schools across the country play baseball. Former professional ballplayers are finding their way into the prep ranks, some as head coaches and others as assistant hitting and pitching coaches.

Below is a look at some of the more familiar MLB players now coaching high school baseball across the country, and then a list of some other names.
David Wells, Point Loma (San Diego)
A Point Loma graduate, Wells spent 21 seasons in the Major Leagues and was a three-time All-Star with two World Series rings. He's coaching the Pointer pitching staff on the field that was named after him in 2010. Point Loma is having a rough go of it this year, posting a 5-19 record.

Craig Biggio, St. Thomas Catholic (Houston)
A member of the 3,000-hit club and one of the best players in the history of the Houston Astros organization, Biggio has coached three years for the Eagles, racking up a record of 67-34. He's coached his two sons, Conor and Cavan Biggio, during that time frame with Cavan batting .420 with a pair of home runs on this year's squad that sports an 18-9 record.

Calvin Schiraldi, St. Michael's (Austin, Texas)
Schiraldi retired from Major League Baseball at the young age of 29, spending most of his career with the Boston Red Sox. An Austin native, Schiraldi returned to his hometown after retirement and is a physical education teacher and head coach at St. Michael's Academy, which has won seven district championships and appeared in the TAPPS 4A state finals in 2001.



Oddibe McDowell, Everglades (Miramar, Fla.)
A former member of the Texas Rangers, McDowell was a Rookie of the Year candidate in 1985. He's in his third year coaching at Everglades, which posted an 8-9 record this year.

Bill Swift and Tim Salmon, Scottsdale Christian Academy (Phoenix)
Swift is the head coach at Scottsdale Christian, a position he has held for 12 seasons. A former pitcher with Seattle, San Francisco and Colorado, Swift has led Scottsdale Christian to a pair of state championships and three runnerup finishes. The Eagles are 17-7-2 this year under Swift. He's joined on the staff by junior varsity assistant coach Tim Salmon, who is considered one of the top players in the history of the California/Anaheim/Los Angeles Angels organization. Salmon has 299 career home runs and helped the Angels win the 2002 World Series with a pair of home runs in Game 2 against San Francisco.

Walt Weiss, Regis Jesuit (Aurora, Colo.)
A shortstop with the Oakland A's and Colorado Rockies, Weiss took over for the defending state champion Regis Jesuit Raiders where his son Brody Weiss plays. The Raiders are 15-4 under Walt Weiss this season.

Wade Boggs, Wharton (Tampa, Fla.)
A native of Tampa, the Hall of Fame player has been the hitting coach at Wharton, where his son Bret played until he graduated in 2005. Boggs has continued to stay involved at Wharton, completing his 11th-straight year with the team.

Troy Percival, Poly (Riverside, Calif.)
A teammate of Salmon on the 2002 Anaheim Angels World Series team, Percival was a reliever for the team, posting 358 saves during his 15-year career. Percival now coaches pitchers for Poly, which is 12-10 on the season.

Jim Barr, Granite Bay (Calif.)
Known for retiring a Major League record 41 straight batters while a member of the San Francisco Giants, Barr lives in Sacramento and works as a pitching coach at Granite Bay, which ends the week with an 18-4 record.

Other coaches include the following names, though not all are head coaches:



Chris Widger, Pennsville Memorial (N.J.)
Rob Murphy, Jensen Beach (Fla.)
Matt Miller, Hylton (Woodbridge, Va.) 
Chad Bradford, Central Hinds Academy (Raymond, Miss.)
Donnie Elliot, South Houston (Texas)
Scott Mullen, Beaufort (S.C.)
John Roper, Nashua South (N.H.)
Julius Matos, Ridgewood (New Port Richey, Fla.)
Kerry Ligtenberg, Park (Cottage Grove, Minn.)
Scott Sauerbeck, St. Stephen's Episcopal (Bradenton, Fla.)
Mike Smithson (Athletic Director), Hickman County (Centerville, Tenn.)
Troy Brohawn, Cambridge-South Dorchester (Cambridge, Md.)
Jeff Parrett, Woodford County (Versailles, Ky.)
Damion Easley, Northwest Christian (Phoenix)
John Habyan, West Islip (N.Y.)
Doug Jennings, North Broward Prep (Coconut Creek, Fla.)
Greg Vaughn, Bradshaw Christian (Sacramento, Calif.)
Randy O'Neal, Olympia (Orlando, Fla.)
Bob Ayrault, Bishop Manogue (Reno, Nev.)
Tim Scott, Hanford (Calif.)
Matt Whisenant, Village Christian (Sun Valley, Calif.)
Kiko Garcia, Bellarmine-Jefferson (Burbank, Calif.)
Andy Benes, Westminster Christian (St. Louis, Mo.)
Jack McDowell, San Dieguito Academy (Encinitas, Calif.)
Greg Maddux, Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
Mike Timlin, Valor Christian (Highlands Ranch, Colo.)
Larry Sheets and Cal Ripken Gilman (Baltimore, Md.)

Have any others? Leave a comment!