Clay Greene - Assistant Coach/ Recruiting Coordinator - Baseball Coaches

Clay Greene

Title:
Assistant Coach/ Recruiting Coordinator
Email:
crgreene@memphis.edu
Phone:
901-678-5041

Clay Greene joined head coach Daron Schoenrock's staff in 2012 after six seasons at East Tennessee State University.

In 2019, Greene coached an offense that continued to improve at the plate. Throughout the season Memphis posted its highest average since 2012. The 2019 Tigers also scored the most runs and collected the most RBI in a single season since 2011.

An outfielder during his playing days, Greene saw a Memphis outfielder selected in three-consecutive Major League Baseball drafts from 2016-18 and at least one of Greene’s hitters was taken in the MLB draft from 2014-18. Following the 2018 season, Tyler Webb became the latest Tiger hitter to head to professional baseball after being drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the 40th round. Webb was a career .289 hitter with 35 doubles, three triples and seven home runs.

With Chris Carrier's selection by the Chicago Cubs in 2017, Greene saw a third-consecutive pupil selected in the top-16 rounds of the Major League Baseball draft. Carrier, a four-year player, ended his career on a 21-game hitting streak and carried the Tigers down the stretch, finishing the season batting .330, with 16 doubles and 16 homers.

Following the 2016 season, outfielder Darien Tubbs was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers with the 491st overall pick following his career as a three-year starter. He played in 174 games, batting .286 with 189 hits, 133 runs scored and 77 RBI. Tubbs was twice named to the American Athletic Conference All-Conference second team.

Under the guidance of Greene, three Tigers were selected to the all-conference second team in 2016. In addition to Tubbs, junior infielder Brandon Grudzielanek and senior outfielder Jake Little earned second-team recognition.

First baseman Tucker Tubbs exploded for an All-American season in 2015, making him the fourth All-American Greene has coached between Memphis and ETSU. Tubbs blasted 17 home runs to finish tied for seventh in the NCAA in homers. Tubbs’ prolific season marked the fifth time a hitter coached by Greene finished in the top-15 nationally in homers.

Memphis batted .272 and blasted 39 home runs as a team in 2015. The Tigers struck out 320 times during the year, which is the second lowest total in the last 20 years. Always interested in putting pressure on the opponent, Memphis stole 87 bases, which is the most since 1994.

Memphis is one of two schools at the Division I level to use Axe Bats exclusively and the 2014 season marked the second with the new bat technology. The Tigers offense posted a .269 average with 533 hits that included 78 doubles along with a .357 on base percentage and a .338 slugging mark. As third base coach, Greene helped Memphis to 73 stolen bases in 2014, only the fourth time in the last 20 years that Tigers had 70-plus steals.

In 2013, the Tigers switched to the Axe bat, which helped the offense to a .266 batting average with 505 hits that included 86 doubles along with a .357 on base percentage and a .356 slugging mark. In the Tigers’ second conference game, the Memphis offense recorded the fifth-biggest shutout win in program history with a 16-0 victory over Tulane.

Also that season, Greene guided freshman Jake Little to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team honors, the first Tiger to receive the accolade since 2009.

In his first season at Memphis, Greene coached C-USA Player of the Year Jacob Wilson and a Tigers offense that produced 106 doubles and 41 homers. The club hit .289 and slugged .409, while reaching base at a .374 clip.

While at ETSU, the Bucs claimed a program-best 36 wins in 2011 and narrowly missed out on an NCAA Tournament bid. The 2010 season saw several offensive records broken under the guidance of Greene, as the Bucs secured program records for runs scored (503), hits (724), home runs (93), doubles (142) and RBI (471).

In 2011, the ETSU offense led the nation with 86 home runs in 57 games played. Under the tutelage of Greene, the Bucs posted top-five marks in home runs in three of his six seasons at ETSU (2008, 2010, and 2011). Greene coached two-time All-American Paul Hoilman and first team All-American Bo Reeder, the fifth and sixth All-Americans in ETSU program history.

Prior to his stint at ETSU, Greene spent three seasons at the University of Tennessee as an assistant, helping guide the Volunteers to the College World Series in 2005. Prior to his coaching career, Greene also played for Tennessee from 1996-97 and spent four seasons playing professionally in the San Francisco farm system.

Greene, who was drafted by the Giants in 1997, played four seasons in the minor leagues. He began his career with Salem-Keizer in the short-season Northwest League before spending two seasons with Bakersfield and a final pro season with the San Jose Giants in the Class A Advanced California League from 1998-2000. He also spent two years coaching at the Thunder Baseball School in Knoxville, Tenn., helping teach youngsters the fundamentals of the game.

As a Vol, Greene helped Tennessee to back-to-back NCAA Regionals in 1996 and 1997. The centerfielder led the nation and set a then-school-record with 54 stolen bases during his senior campaign. He finished his two-year career with a .318 average, eight home runs and 87 stolen bases. He also reeled off a 14-game hitting streak during his final season, while swiping a Southeastern Conference single-game record six bases in seven attempts against MTSU.

A native of Cleveland, Tenn., he helped lead Cleveland High School to a district title and a runner-up finish in the regional during his senior campaign. He also established a school record for stolen bases in a season with 37. He earned his degree in sport management from the University of Tennessee in 2001.

Greene is married to the former Heather Redecker, who played soccer at the University of Tennessee from 1996-99. The couple has a son, AJ and a daughter, Katelyn.