Ex-Beaver standout, coach Andy Jenkins back in Pac-12 —With the Washington Huskies

Andy Jenkins with daughters Presley, almost 3, and Blakely, 5. (Courtesy Andy Jenkins)

• For nearly two decades, Andy Jenkins was a dyed-in-the wool Oregon State Beaver.

Now he is a Washington Husky.

The former slugger and assistant coach at OSU has been hired as an assistant coach for — of all people — Lindsay Meggs.

“It’s pretty crazy,” Jenkins says. “I don’t know that I thought this would have happened.”

Meggs — Washington’s head coach for the past 12 years — is infamous in Beaver Nation. In 2016, he was the West Coast representative to the selection committee that didn’t choose a 35-19 Oregon State team for the 64-team NCAA Tournament field. At best, Meggs wasn’t an advocate. More likely, his lack of support cost the Beavers a spot.

“I know Oregon State fans have an opinion on Coach Meggs,” says Jenkins, 37, who coached at Cal State Fullerton the past two years. “When you’re rivals, it can be that not a lot of people will like you.

“I can tell you he is a competitor. He’s a bit old-school, like a lot of coaches I’ve worked for. He’s giving me a great opportunity. He wants to win and get back to Omaha. I love that. If there’s any way I can help, that’s my goal.”

In 2018 — the year Oregon State won its third national championship since 2006 — the Huskies made it to the College World Series. In 2021, the Huskies dipped to 20-30 overall with a Pac-12-worst mark of 6-21. They went 0-6 against Oregon State and Oregon.

Jenkins was a terrific catcher/infielder for OSU in 2004 and ’05, a first-team All-Pac-12 choice who hit .388 and helped lead the Beavers to the ’05 CWS. Jenkins spent seven seasons at his alma mater as an assistant and third-base coach under Pat Casey and interim head coach Pat Bailey before leaving for Fullerton in 2020.

Andy Jenkins (right) with future Hall-of-Famer Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jenkins, then an assistant coach at Cal State Fullerton, threw batting practice to Pujols several times in preparation for spring training when Pujols was with the cross-town Angeles. Jenkins is now an assistant coach at Washington

(Courtesy Andy Jenkins)

At Fullerton, Jenkins coached third, handled the catchers and assisted with infielders and the hitting coach — the same role he held at OSU. The Titans faltered to 20-35 overall and 13-23 in Big West Conference action this past season, after which head coach Rick Vanderhook retired.

A “volunteer” coach under Casey who moved into a full-paying position for his season with Bailey, Jenkins was back to “volunteer” status with the Titans. Now for the first time, he’ll be in a full-time position under a coach with no “interim” tag attached to his title.

With the Huskies, Jenkins will serve as hitting coach, will help with catchers and infielders and will coach third base.

“Andy is exactly the kind of guy we need at this moment in our program,” Meggs told me Wednesday night. “He is young enough that he can connect with the players, yet he is hard-nosed enough that he’ll never stop making them better. That’s the kind of player he was. That’s what I observed watching him coach at Oregon State. It’s the type of energy we need.

“I’m sure he’ll do a really good job coaching third. I know how aggressive he is personality-wise. He is always looking for an extra 90 feet. That’s what excites me.”

“It’s the first time I’ll be a full-time hitting coach,” says Jenkins, 37. “I’m excited to take ownership of the hitting. Coach Meggs wants me to get the hitters’ attention and bring new life to them. That’s exactly what I’ve been hoping for.”

Jenkins will move to Seattle with wife Jessica and their two girls, Blakely, 5, and Presley, almost 3.

“It’s a unique opportunity,” Jenkins says. “I wanted to get back in the Pac-12. I wanted to be a hitting coach and do some of the things I did at Oregon State. This is a really good job that will take care of my family. U-Dub is a special place. We can win there. I want to help us win in any way I can.”

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