USA Baseball creates new advisory role for Sanford coach Rick Eckstein
Eckstein will oversee a unified development pipeline for players and coaches, a position the organization says fills a gap in long-term athlete preparation.
By Aisha Khan ·
USA Baseball hired Rick Eckstein as its new Special Advisor of Player and Coach Development on October 14, 2026. The role is newly created and places the Sanford native in a leadership capacity within the baseball operations team.
Eckstein will work directly with Executive Director Paul Seiler, General Manager Eric Campbell, and General Manager Ashley Bratcher. His primary responsibility is to build and implement a development program for the organization's athletes and coaches.
Seiler emphasized that Eckstein’s experience across college, minor league, major league, and international baseball is rare. Seiler stated that Eckstein can understand what players and coaches are working toward, whether it is winning a gold medal or developing for the next level. He noted that Eckstein’s ability to mentor from that experience is what the organization needs in a more prominent role.
Eckstein described his goal as creating a player progression plan. He wants to ensure that when an athlete enters the USA Baseball pipeline at a young age, they have access to a focused and proven development program. This program is designed to build athletes year over year while preparing them for national team programs.
The role extends beyond player development to include coach development. Eckstein said that coach development must match player development to create an experience that surpasses simple results. He plans to identify and mentor coaches who have achieved the kind of success the athletes hope to reach.
In this capacity, Eckstein will lead the construction of on-field, development-focused programming for national teams and development programs. He will work with coaches to integrate player development plans into their on-field strategies. This is intended to ensure a consistent approach across all USA Baseball programs.
Eckstein will also assist national team program directors in selecting coaches. He will evaluate prospective coaches and task force members and provide feedback. Additionally, he will mentor coaches at all levels by offering input on on-field strategy, international competition preparation, and player selection.
The new role supports the organization's educational mission. Eckstein will work with the Youth Programs and Education Department to construct resources for coaches, including a revamped coach certification program. This work aims to standardize training and support for the next generation of baseball leaders.
Eckstein’s recent achievements include leading the 18U National Team to a world championship at the 2025 WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup. Team USA defeated host-country Japan 2-0 in Okinawa. That victory secured an 11th world title for the program and earned Eckstein his second consecutive USA Baseball Rod Dedeaux Coach of the Year Award.
Before this new role, Eckstein served as hitting coach for the Professional National Team at the 2024 Premier12, where the team won a bronze medal. He also led the 18U program to a seventh consecutive gold medal at the 2024 Americas Qualifier in Panama. His career includes 29 years of coaching, starting with the University of Florida in 1997 and ending with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2021.
