Rutgers Baseball Secures Replacement After Pitching Coach Leaves
Just weeks into the new year, Rutgers baseball has successfully made a significant move to steady its coaching staff. On January 5, Rutgers staff announced that Ryan Fecteau will replace Mike McRae as pitching coach and associate head coach. The move comes days after McRae departed for professional opportunities, leaving a void in a program that had just begun to show promise under his guidance.
McRae’s exit was the end of one of the most brilliant coaching stints of Rutgers history. Hired in 2025, McRae made some significant changes in the pitching division of the Knights, replacing all three starters and much of the bullpen.
His efforts yielded a 5.72 team ERA, a clear improvement from the previous years, and freshman Landon Mack’s 4.03 ERA, which earned him All-American honors. Rutgers notched its fourth straight winning record and stunned sixth-seeded Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament.
Before Rutgers, McRae built his reputation across the coaching landscape. He spent three seasons as head coach at William & Mary and four as an assistant at Virginia Commonwealth. His earlier head gigs at Niagara and Canisius made him an adept talent developer and staff manager. Now looking for pro opportunities, his absence will be loudly felt in the Rutgers lineup.
Fecteau Steps In Big Shoes
Ryan Fecteau is a Gilmanton, N.H., native who has a resume worthy of being McRae’s replacement. After five months at Pepperdine as pitching coach, Fecteau returns to the East Coast from a seven-year run at Virginia Tech, where he served as pitching coach, recruiting coordinator, and eventual associate head coach.Fecteau mentored two All-Americans and 14 MLB draftees.
Rutgers tabs Pepperdine assistant Ryan Fecteau (@RCFecteau) as the Scarlet Knights new pitching coach.
— Rutgers Scarlet Knights | The Knight Report (@RutgersOn3) January 5, 2026
Spent seven seasons with Virginia Tech, where he developed 14 MLB Draft picks and two All-Americans.https://t.co/nTLPuMrMRY pic.twitter.com/DESEUbD5BN
He has a track record of grooming raw arms into weekend aces and late-inning closers. Fecteau spent 2017 at Maryland as an assistant and recruiting coordinator, gaining insights of the inner workings of the Big Ten.
From 2011-16 at Bryant, he worked under current Rutgers head coach Steve Owens as assistant and recruiting coordinator, contributing to the Bulldogs’ ascent during Owens’ tenure (2011-19). Earlier stops include graduate assistant at St. Lawrence (2005-07), assistant at Southern Utah (2008), USC Upstate (2009), and a return to St. Lawrence (2010).
Fecteau’s Influence On 2026 Plans
Fecteau joins immediately, which is timed perfectly with Rutgers’ February 13 opener, a four-game series against College of Charleston. Head coach Steve Owens, who knows Fecteau’s work ethic from the Bryant days, expects him to integrate with the program seamlessly.
Rutgers enters 2026 with momentum from four straight winning seasons but seeks deeper Big Ten runs. Fecteau’s arrival addresses the key need of sustaining McRae’s results. With Mack and others returning, the rotation gains a steady hand.
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Rituraj Halder is a football junkie. He covers everything from clutch game-day moments to the stories that offer a glimpse into the locker room. Over the years, he’s written for outlets like Pro Sports and Football Network, Esports on Sports Illustrated, Sportskeeda, and EssentiallySports, carving out a voice that blends sharp analysis with genuine passion. Whether it’s breaking down a Big Ten rivalry, highlighting rising stars, or capturing the emotion that fuels the game, Rituraj writes football the way fans feel it: loud, proud, and all in.