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The UCF Knights’ latest volunteer assistant coach is a recent World Series champion.
Andy Barkett, 46, is set to replace Barrett Serrato as the team’s volunteer assistant, a source has told the Black and Gold Banneret. The news was first reported Monday night by Baseball America’s Teddy Cahill.
I can confirm that #UCF baseball has added Andy Barkett to its coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. Barrett Serrato joined in August, but his final day was today as he leaves for Kent State.
— Brian Murphy (@Spokes_Murphy) January 21, 2020
Barkett spent the past two years as the Red Sox's assistant hitting coach. https://t.co/YaYtyUorqq
Barkett was a coach or manager in the minor leagues for 11 years prior to joining the Boston Red Sox’s staff after the 2017 season. He helped guide one of MLB’s best offenses for two years, winning the 2018 World Series along the way. He was dismissed this past October.
He lives with his wife and three children in Oviedo. He played 11 seasons in professional baseball and appeared in 17 games for the 2001 Pittsburgh Pirates. Barkett’s coaching career was preceded by what he called a “financial tragedy” for his family. However, he persevered.
Barkett’s longest coaching stint in the minors came with the Jacksonville Suns, the Miami Marlins’ Double-A affiliate, from 2011 to 2014. He was also a manager in the Detroit Tigers’ system from 2007 to 2010 and managed the Pirates’ Triple-A affiliate in 2017.
Serrato was hired in August, and his final day at UCF was Monday. Per Cahill, he will become the recruiting coordinator at Kent State, which is where Serrato began his coaching career in 2016.
With Barkett in tow, the Knights will be working with their third volunteer assistant over the past seven months. Back in July, Ted Tom, UCF’s volunteer coach since the summer of 2017, was reportedly hired to be a paid assistant coach by Western Kentucky. However, when UCF assistant coach Ryan Klosterman left at the end of the month to become the head coach at Bryant University, Tom returned to the Knights to fill Klosterman’s post.
Ted Tom is back on #UCF Baseball's staff. He was reportedly hired last month as an assistant coach at Western Kentucky, but he has returned to replace Ryan Klosterman as Greg Lovelady's top assistant. Tom spent last year with the Knights as a volunteer coach. pic.twitter.com/YdWooDtlqQ
— Brian Murphy (@Spokes_Murphy) August 3, 2019
Serrato became the new volunteer coach in August and will now be followed by Barkett.
This kind of frequent turnover will likely continue until the NCAA converts the volunteer role into a third paid assistant coach. Unfortunately, that won’t happen until 2021 at the earliest.
The UCF Knights will begin their 2020 season on Feb. 14 when they open a four-game series versus the Siena Saints.