Sept. 21, 2016
SAN JOSE, Calif. - San José State baseball head coach Jason Hawkins appointed former major league pitcher Anthony Claggett as a volunteer assistant coach.
"I got to coach Anthony on a travel team in high school and he comes from a great coaching background," said Hawkins of the one-time New York Yankee and Pittsburgh Pirate. "He's played at the highest level and is going to be a great coach."
Claggett will help Spartans pitching coach Dean Stiles with pitching development and coach first base.
An 11th round draft pick in 2005 by the Detroit Tigers, Claggett made his major league debut in 2009. His 11-year professional playing career includes seven minor league seasons where he won 35 and saved 39 games.
In 2006, MiLB.com named him Minor League Class A Relief Pitcher of the Year. Pitching for the West Michigan Whitecaps, the right-hander posted an ERA of 0.91 over 59 1/3 innings and finished with a record of 7-2 and 14 saves.
Claggett comes to San José State from Riverside Community College. He was the pitching coach and assistant recruiting coordinator in 2016.
Prior to coaching at Riverside Community College, Claggett was the pitching coach for the New Jersey Jackals of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball league in 2015. The Jackals had the best staff ERA in the Can-Am League and reached the championship round.
Claggett started his coaching career in 2014 at the College of the Desert serving as the pitching coach and recruiting.
Claggett received his bachelor's degree in business management from the University of Phoenix in 2015.
He began his college career at UC Riverside and played three seasons for the Highlanders as a middle infielder and relief pitcher. Claggett was the team's closer and was credited with four of the team's six saves in 2005.