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Linfield University on Thursday named Scott Brosius as athletic director. Interim President Rebecca L. Johnson said Brosius rose to the top among a deep pool of candidates to oversee athletics at the 166-year-old university known for the success of its NCAA Division III sports teams.
Brosius will begin in the new position on or before May 13. He will replace Doug Hire, who has been serving as interim athletic director through this academic year. Hire, a member of the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame who has worked in various roles in the athletic department for 24 years, plans to retire at the end of the academic year.
“I’m delighted that Scott Brosius will be returning to Linfield as our new athletic director,” Johnson said. “I know Scott shares our values for student-athlete success, in the classroom and in competition. He will work with me and others across campus to ensure that each and every team, coach and student-athlete has the support they need for success.”
Brosius is one of the most storied names in Wildcat history. Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in 1987 after his junior year at Linfield, he spent a decade playing there before being traded to the New York Yankees. In New York, he went on to play in a MLB All-Star Game and four World Series, ultimately winning three titles and collecting a World Series MVP honor.
Scott Brosius at an alumni baseball game.
He announced his retirement from professional baseball on Linfield’s McMinnville campus in 2001, and returned to the Linfield community as head baseball coach from 2007-2016. Named Northwest Conference Coach of the Year five times, he led the Wildcats to the Division III World Series four times and claimed the national championship in 2013.
Brosius then went on to be a hitting coach, field coordinator and third-base coach for the Seattle Mariners organization and, eventually, senior director of player development at USA Baseball. In the latter role, his duties included hiring and supervising coaches and ensuring success of the national teams – including developing and supervising the coaching staff for the Women’s National Team.
“I bleed Linfield purple, and I’m a Wildcat for life,” Brosius said. “I’m deeply honored to be entrusted with the responsibility for a department so rich in history and success. I look forward to working with our coaches, athletes, administrators, faculty members and supporters to make the next era in Wildcat athletics its most successful yet. I can’t wait to get started.”
After his MLB career, Brosius returned to Linfield to finish his bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2001. He was inducted into the Linfield Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002. His wife Jennifer (Moore) Brosius ’89, daughter Allison (Brosius) Harris ’14 and son David Brosius ’20 are all Linfield graduates, as well. A second daughter, Megan Travers, attended Oregon State.
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