Catching Development Clinic

Donegal Fergus was named the ninth head coach of the Lions baseball program on June 24, 2023.

Fergus joins the Lions athletics staff after successful stints at UCSB and with the Minnesota Twins of the MLB.

Fergus’s coaching philosophy is very player-centric, focusing on player empowerment and setting foundations for growth in order to reach that final goal of getting drafted into Major League Baseball.

His experience stretches more than two decades, with success following every stop he has been at. Fergus has made stops at three Division I programs prior to leading the Lions. From 2010-2012, Fergus was the hitting coach at Seattle University where he increased the RedHawks hitting proficiency significantly from year to year. His next DI opportunity came at the University of Washington. During his tenure with the Huskies, the team made three NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to Omaha, Neb. for the 2018 College World Series. He finally landed in Santa Barbara as an assistant on the Gauchos staff where in 2019, he helped them capture their first Big West Championship since 1958. The 2019 Gauchos also produced the second most MLB draft picks in the country. After a brief hiatus from coaching at the college level, Fergus returned to the Gauchos staff in 2022 to help them to another Big West Championship. His three years in Santa Barbara led to two conference titles, two NCAA Regional trips, two broken school records for homers in a season, and a multitude of offensive improvements.

During his hiatus from the Gauchos, Fergus served as the hitting coordinator for the Twins in which he oversaw all of their minor league hitting staff across MILB. The Twins had seven MLB debuts during his tenure and have transformed into a perennial AL Central contender in recent years. One of his biggest takeaways from being with the Twins was learning the ability to manage large groups of individuals, something he no doubt will utilize on the Bluff.

Fergus also oversaw the Irish National Baseball Team for a pair of seasons in 2018 and 2019, helping them to attain a gold medal and a Top 50 international ranking.

A native of Powers, Ore., Fergus played baseball at Linfield College where he earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and later earned a graduate degree in homeland security from American Military University.