Auburn adds Georgia's Nick Ammirati as hitting coordinator in home run hire

Auburn baseball head coach Butch Thompson announced the addition of Nick Ammirati as the program's assistant coach and hitting coordinator on Tuesday, bringing an experienced and successful face to the Tigers' staff.

Ammirati arrives on the Plains after five years of coaching experience in the SEC at Kentucky and Georgia, where he helped lead his programs to Omaha twice and won three SEC championships, including two regular-season titles and one tournament title. His offenses consistently ranked among the nation's best, leading the SEC in numerous offensive categories while helping develop nine MLB Draft picks selected in the first 10 rounds since 2024.

"This is an incredible opportunity to join a program with arguably more young talent than anyone in the country and help build on the momentum it has created the last several years," Ammirati said. “Butch has been a mentor of mine both up close and from afar for 15 years now, and I’m ecstatic to rekindle that relationship and get to work with one of the best coaches and men in our industry.”

Thompson, who coached Ammirati during his playing career at Mississippi State, said the reunion was a natural fit.

"Nick's bio speaks for itself, but my first glimpse of his potential in this industry was as his coach in 2013," Thompson said. "Nick's track record of success and current SEC experience makes him the best fit in the country. I'm excited to reunite with a former student-athlete, and I believe our players and program are going to be very excited to have Ammo join the Auburn Family."

Ammirati previously coached at Georgia, Kentucky, Southern Miss, Hinds Community College, Northwestern State and NJIT. He was also a catcher at Mississippi State, helping lead the Bulldogs to the 2013 College World Series finals before beginning his coaching career that quickly established him as one of the SEC's best hitting coaches.