Texas State University announced this week that Rick Guarno will take over as the program’s new hitting coach, bringing a decade‑plus résumé in Minor League Baseball to the Bobcats’ dugout.
Guarno’s journey through the farm systems of the Miami Marlins, New York Mets and New York Yankees has seen him serve as a hitting instructor at every level, and in 2025 he was at the helm of the Mets’ Triple‑A affiliate, where he refined the swing mechanics of several prospects.
Before that, he spent three seasons in the Yankees’ player development pipeline from 2022 through 2024, a stint that followed his earlier role as Arkansas State’s hitting coach from 2018 to 2021, a period in which he helped the Red Wolves set new offensive benchmarks.
He replaces David‑Danny Linahan, who departed for Texas Christian University after guiding the Bobcats to a program‑record 116 home runs last season and earning a Sun Belt championship. Linahan’s tenure produced six hitters who reached double‑digit homers, including Ethan Farris, who contributed eight before a season‑ending injury in late April.
A pedigree of power
When Guarno was first introduced to the team, several core players — among them Clayton Namken and Jaquae Stewart — expressed immediate confidence in his approach, a sentiment that helped persuade the group to return for another campaign after an NCAA Tournament regional appearance that ended with a 5‑4 victory over USC before two straight losses.
The Bobcats now look ahead to their inaugural season in the Pac‑12, a conference that will feature familiar foes such as Oregon State, Washington State, Fresno State, Boise State, Colorado State, Utah State, Gonzaga and Dallas Baptist, as well as traditional powerhouses like UCLA and Stanford.
Guarno’s hiring is being framed as a strategic move to maintain the offensive momentum that propelled Texas State to the top of the Sun Belt and to translate that success against a deeper, more competitive slate of opponents.