Gabe Gross exits Auburn baseball staff for new role after nine seasons

Auburn baseball has experienced its first coaching staff shake-up of the offseason.

Auburn Athletics announced Monday that hitting coach Gabe Gross is leaving the Auburn baseball coaching staff and will transition into a new role within the athletic department. Gross, who served as hitting coach for nine seasons, will now serve as a special assistant for athletics engagement.

In a press release from Auburn Athletics, Gross shared gratitude for his time with Auburn baseball, but he will now turn his attention to his family.

“I have two teenagers at home, and our time with them under our roof is quickly fading,” Gross said in a press release. “The current construct of collegiate athletics and college baseball demand your full attention, and my family does as well. While it’s difficult to step away, I know it’s the right decision.”

Gross continued by thanking all of the people he worked with and coached during his time as the Tigers’ hitting coach, including head coach Butch Thompson, who hired Gross ahead of the 2018 season.

“I want to thank Coach (Butch) Thompson for giving me the opportunity to coach at Auburn. I also want to personally thank the Auburn Family for their love and support on and off the field as both a player and coach. Lastly, I want to thank all the players I have coached during my career at Auburn. The relationships built with all my former and current players continue to be very special to me. Watching them display the toughness and skill required to excel in the SEC and put Auburn baseball in a position to once again contend for championships has been the highlight of my coaching career. To every former and current Auburn baseball player, thank you. I love you guys. War Eagle!”

Gross spent the last nine seasons giving back to his alma mater. Gross played both baseball and football for Auburn from 1998-2001, turning his full attention to baseball before the 2000 season, which led to a seven-year Major League Baseball career with four organizations: Toronto Blue Jays, Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, and Oakland Athletics. He hit for a career average of .239 with 40 home runs.

During his time as a coach at Auburn, Gross worked with top home run hitters in Ike Irish, Sonny DiChiara, and Cooper McMurray, as well as those who continue to wear orange and blue, including Chase Fralick, Ethin Bingaman, and Mason McCraine. A total of 13 position players became Major League Baseball draft picks since Gross took over in 2018, including two players from Auburn’s 2026 roster, Chris Rembert and Eric Guevara.

Auburn head coach Butch Thompson will now aim to replace Gross before the 2027 season. The job should be attractive as Auburn is slated to return several key bats, including Chase Fralick, Ethin Bingaman, Brandon McCraine, Mason McCraine, and Bub Terrell. Auburn has also added speed pieces from the transfer portal in Iowa’s Ben Swails and Georgia State’s John Beverely.

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