Auburn Baseball Associate Head Coach Moving Into Different Role in Athletic Program

The long-time hitting coach on the Plains, Auburn baseball, has a role to fill on the coaching staff before next season.

Auburn third base coach and associate head coach Gabe Gross is moving into a special assistant role with the athletic program. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After spending nine seasons in the Auburn Tigers’ dugout, a special piece of Butch Thompson’s coaching staff will hit the exit doors, but he will remain on the Plains for seasons to come. 

Associate head coach Gabe Gross will leave the baseball program but move into the center of Auburn athletics, becoming a special assistant for athletics engagement. The move was announced on Monday afternoon. 

The new role will have him assisting with various efforts, including fundraising, while appearing on radio and television broadcasts during Auburn baseball games. Auburn Athletics said that other duties were also added to his role. 

“Gabe is an Auburn man through and through, and he’s been a huge part of our program’s success over the last nine seasons,” Thompson said in a release. “More than just a coach on staff, Gabe has helped me grow my love for Auburn and is a lifelong friend.”

Gross moved up the ladder within the baseball program across his nine seasons with the Tigers, returning from the MLB after playing his collegiate career with Auburn from 1999-2001, ending up as a first-round pick to the Toronto Blue Jays. When he returned to campus in 2012, he went from a student assistant to the associate head coach of the program. 

The 46-year-old has spent the last nine seasons on the Plains as the program’s hitting coach, hitting a collective .286 during his time in the role. Seven of Auburn’s top 10 home run totals have come when Gross has been a part of the program, hitting a total of 640 long balls. 

For the last three seasons, he’s been the associate head coach, but now he’s taking a step back to enjoy time with his family. 

“While it’s difficult to step away, I know it’s the right decision,” Gross said in a statement. “I want to thank Coach Thompson for giving me the opportunity to coach at Auburn. I also want to personally thank the Auburn Family for their love and support on and off the field as both a player and coach. Lastly, I want to thank all the players I have coached during my career at Auburn.”

The long-time Auburn coach created 17 MLB Draft picks, six All-Americans, seven Freshman All-Americans and 21 Tigers who have picked up All-SEC honors. That’s difficult to do in a loaded SEC conference, and Gross will be forever remembered as one of the most important figures of the program in the modern era. 

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