Change of Plans: How Saints Alumnus Mathew Troupe's Baseball Career Shifted From Playing to Coaching

Most baseball players’ end goal is playing four seasons in a major college program or reaching the pros. Former Saints Pitching Coach Mathew Troupe had the same aspirations and accomplished them — but as a coach instead of as a player.

All the signs pointed towards playing professionally for Troupe. He was recruited by big-name college programs in high school, played baseball at the University of Arizona and won a national championship there and was even drafted by the New York Yankees in 2011. However, after Tommy John surgery and a shoulder injury cost him his last two seasons at Arizona, he shifted his focus towards coaching and inadvertently walked into his dream career.  

“When I was playing in college, when you’re in the thick of things, [coaching] never really crosses your mind,” Troupe said. “Coaching wasn’t even a thought and I just wanted to play pro ball and I was playing at a high level, so the pro route was right there. Coaching was never, ever an option in my mind.”

Troupe has now coached at universities and in leagues across the country and around the world. Over the course of his four-year coaching journey, he’s been lauded by coaches and players every step of the way, making his mark as a compassionate leader with a positive disposition and an unmatched ability to connect with athletes.

Troupe’s baseball career started out like many other ballplayers’ when his dad signed him up for tee ball. He continued on to play baseball, eventually becoming skilled enough for travel ball. His love of the game translated to on-field success, which culminated in the Yankees drafting him in the 17th round out of high school.    

While he was initially thrilled, he ultimately decided against forgoing his Arizona scholarship and turning professional.

“At that time, I was going to be the first person in my family to go to college, so it was a bigger deal to my family,” Troupe said. “They used to say, ‘Hey, this education will last you a lifetime, whereas baseball, there’s gonna be an expiration date,’ whether that be after playing pro ball or maybe never getting the opportunity to pay pro ball.”

Upon his arrival in Tucson, Troupe immediately found himself in a key role on the team. Then-Head Coach Andy Lopez designated him the team’s closer despite the fact that he was only a freshman, even entrusting Troupe with the ball to close the decisive game three of the 2012 College World Series. Troupe served up a 3-2 fastball and struck out South Carolina infielder Joey Pankake to keep the game tied, allowing the Wildcats to win the game.

Closing out a College World Series win would be an insurmountable accomplishment to some, but Troupe acknowledges that playing at Arizona afforded him many valuable opportunities in addition to that highlight reel moment.

“The education was one thing, but the experience was another,” Troupe said. “It gave me the opportunity to mature. Going into minor league baseball, I would’ve had to mature very fast, whereas in college, you still have a little bit of shelter, especially in a baseball program having a lot of people around you and having a lot of support. It was a good transition for me to grow, to mature, as a human being.”

After his sophomore year, the injury bug struck, forcing Troupe to get Tommy John surgery and miss his junior season. Although he went through the necessary rehabilitation process and made his way back to the mound for his senior year, he injured his shoulder soon thereafter and was forced to sit out the season again.

With his chances of playing professional baseball essentially decimated, he decided to go back home to Northridge, Calif. in 2015 to play his final year of eligibility for Cal State Northridge.

“That is when my role kind of changed,” Troupe said. “I realized that I don’t have many [throws] left in my arm, my arm’s kind of falling apart on me, so I transitioned myself into a leader role. When I did that, I broadened my scope a little bit and put more emphasis on my teammates and was there for my coaches. I started to really enjoy that feeling of stepping outside of yourself to work with others and help others and help others grow both on the baseball side and as humans.”

Troupe learned more about coaching on both sides of the baseball to understand how to create a positive environment for players. He devoted himself to mastering the art of coaching, earning himself a job as the Head Pitching Coach at Emory University in 2017.

“I learned really quick that you can’t teach one way,” Troupe said. “That’s easier said than done because I’ve been taught certain ways my whole life and certain things work for me as a player. You learn that everybody ticks differently, everybody receives information differently and, whether it be mechanically or mentally, they need to work on different things. Everybody is their own person and learns their own way and needs to be taught their own way.”

His next stop was a summer-long stint with the Arroyo Seco Saints in 2018, which gave him the opportunity to reconnect with General Manager Aaron Milam. Milam had coached against Troupe when Troupe was in high school, and the two reconnected once Troupe began coaching collegiately.

“He was our pitching coach and he really galvanized that pitching staff,” Milam said. “The strength of our team in ‘18 was their ability to throw the ball. [Troupe] became a fan favorite and he became a team favorite real quick. He’s just got an electric personality and a very high baseball acumen, and the kids gravitate to him very quick.”

After subsequent gigs at the University of San Diego and Providence Christian College, Troupe was offered a coaching position with the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he played for two summers in college and earned the nickname “Mayor of Orleans” for his impressive play and affable personality away from the diamond.

“It’s just the opportunity to coach some of these fantastic athletes all over the country coming from all these different programs, the Vanderbilts, the UCLAs, the best of the best, and they all bring something different to the table," Troupe said. "I have the awesome opportunity to learn a lot from these guys. They’re learning from the best minds in baseball and I get to learn what they’re learning and talk to them about some of the things they’re doing in school.”

In addition to continuing to coach the Firebirds, Troupe has finally made his way to the pros, even though it wasn’t in the role he originally intended. Troupe serves as the head pitching coach of Great Britain’s national team and he coached the team throughout their run in the 2019 European Championships.

Though he finally got a taste of professional baseball, Troupe has set his sights on a new goal — becoming the head coach of a Division I baseball program.

“I love the relationship aspect that I get to have with my players,” Troupe said. “Sometimes as a pitching coach, you have your pitching staff, you have your 15 guys that you’re running, and what I wanna do is have those relationships with not only my pitchers, but with the full team and be the same energetic coach that I am on that side of things.”

“Some of the stigma around head coaches is that they’re very stern, very tough, and through experience, a lot of head coaches are hard to reach as a player. That’s the role I wanna hop into and ensure my players that we’re gonna do this the right way with with program that I wanna put in place and we’re gonna have fun doing it and we’re gonna grow and it’s not just gonna be on the baseball field, it’s gonna be in life in general.”

His penchant and aptitude for coaching at the college level haven’t gone unnoticed by his former players and colleagues either.

“I can tell you this guy’s gonna have a great career as a college coach somewhere,” Milam said.

While Troupe’s career may look nothing like what he assumed it would when the Yankees phoned him to express their interest, he instead found that his passion lies not in putting on pinstripes every day, but in positively impacting the life of every athlete who comes his way.

“There’s always knowledge to be learned as long as you put yourself out there and allow yourself to learn it,” Troupe said. “I learn something new from someoneevery single day and I make it a point to leave the ballfield having learned something. That has been what I focus on through all of these stops. There’s always growth, and my job is to find what makes every single individual tick.”