Foxhall, Heath rejoin Pawlowski on Auburn baseball staff

By Collin Mickle

Published: July 22, 2008

When John Pawlowski was hired as Auburn’s new baseball coach June 20, Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said the reason was simple.

Pawlowski’s accomplishments at College of Charleston — including three NCAA Tournament appearances — earned him the job at Auburn.

And who better to help Pawlowski continue his remarkable run than two of the men who made his success at Charleston possible?

Tuesday, AU announced the hiring of Scott Foxhall and Matt Heath as Pawlowski’s two assistant coaches. The duo coached with Pawlowski at Charleston for a combined 12 seasons.

Foxhall worked with Pawlowski for each of his nine seasons at Charleston, serving as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. He’s likely to fill both roles at AU. Heath coached the Cougars’ hitters for the past three seasons.

Both hires had been rumored for weeks before being announced in a Tuesday press release.

“I am really excited about bringing Scott and Matt on board here at Auburn,” Pawlowski said in a statement released by the school. “I think they will be great additions to the Auburn baseball program. They both have a tremendous amount of energy and experience, which will have an immediate impact on our program.”

The hiring is a kind of homecoming for Foxhall, a Greer, S.C., native who started his college career as an Auburn walk-on in 1991. He transferred to Charleston after the ’91 season and played three years for the Cougars.

“My excitement for being back at Auburn is two-fold,” Foxhall said in a statement released by the school. “First, it is an honor to be part of such a prestigious institution and a tradition-rich athletic program. Second, I’m thrilled to be able to continue my career with one of the best coaches in the country in John Pawlowski.”

In Foxhall’s nine seasons at Charleston, 19 Cougars pitchers were selected in the Major League Baseball draft. He coached four Southern League Pitchers of the Year.

Heath has Southeastern Conference experience as a player: He spent two seasons at Florida (1999-2000) and two at LSU (2001-02).

“I am very excited to get back to the SEC,” Heath said in a statement released by the school. “Having been a player in the conference, I know it is one of the toughest conferences to play in and I am looking forward to the challenges that brings with it.

“I am also appreciative of the opportunity that Coach Pawlowski and Auburn has given me and I can’t wait to get to know the players and really get started.”

As Charleston’s hitting coach, he helped the Cougars set school records in runs scored, RBI, home runs and hits. In 2008, Charleston led the nation in home runs and runs scored per game and ranked 10th nationally in batting average.

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