Brewers Coaching Staff: Rickie Weeks Transitions to Front Office; Connor Dawson Reportedly Joining Royals

[Jack Stern]

Image courtesy of © Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Some changes are coming to the Brewers' coaching staff. The club announced on Thursday afternoon that associate manager Rickie Weeks will transition out of the dugout, taking on a new role as special assistant in baseball operations and domestic/international scouting.

The former Milwaukee second baseman returned to the organization in 2022 as part of the player development staff, and the club named him associate manager when it promoted Pat Murphy to manager after the 2023 season. At the time, those moves signaled that Weeks was the long-term successor of Craig Counsell, with former bench coach Murphy serving as a bridge while he learned the ropes of working on a big-league staff.

That's not how things played out, though. Murphy will likely win his second consecutive National League Manager of the Year Award next week and should remain in his post for the duration of his original three-year contract. (In fact, an extension for Murphy this winter would be no surprise to anyone.) Weeks, meanwhile, will transition to the front office, where he'll be involved in player acquisition with an emphasis on scouting prospects for the amateur draft and international free agent market.

The club notably announced that it will not hire a new associate manager to replace Weeks, instead reassigning his duties to other coaches. It's not the first time they've gone that route. After former run prevention coordinator Walker McKinven left for a gig with the Chicago White Sox, assistant pitching coach Jim Henderson and assistant coach Daniel de Mondesert assumed his responsibilities this year.

Between de Mondesert, major league field coordinator and catching guru Nestor Corredor, infield coach Matt Erickson, and base coaches Julio Borbón and Jason Lane, the Brewers have ample in-house candidates to take on Weeks's responsibilities, assuming most of them remain with the team for 2026. Even so, it's notable that they will carry on without a traditional dugout deputy behind Murphy. Staffs are growing throughout baseball, though, particularly in Milwaukee, and the increased personnel has led to roles evolving beyond the longstanding coaching framework. Weeks's former title was a break from the norm, as was employing two pitching coaches and three hitting coaches.

One of those hitting instructors is reportedly headed elsewhere, marking another change to Murphy's staff. Fansided's Robert Murray reported on Wednesday night that the Kansas City Royals are hiring Connor Dawson, who had been with the Brewers since the 2022 season. It's not yet clear whether Milwaukee will hire another coach to work with Eric Theisen under lead hitting coach Al LeBoeuf.

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[Trax]

Makes sense if this is what Rickie wants to do.   Plenty of good heads in the dug out.  Imperative that we keep Hook.

[Stubby66]

Gotta believe that Ricky Sweets will be considered.