Former Alabama pitching coach B.J. Green joined the Georgia Southern baseball staff in July 2009 and begins his 10th season with the Eagles in 2020. Green brings with him to Statesboro over 14 years of Southeastern Conference experience as both a player and coach.
Green has also helped develop 16 different pitchers into MLB draft talent as a member of Hennon’s staff and has had 32 pitchers taken in the MLB draft during his extensive coaching career.
Behind Coach Green’s leadership, the Eagles continued to dominate on the mound. Junior Seth Shuman was named First Team All-Sun Belt with a 3.83 ERA and 114 strikeouts to lead the league. Georgia Southern’s bullpen converted 16 save chances as the team went 35-24 to win the Sun Belt East Division and reach the Sun Belt Championship Game for the third time in four seasons. Following the season, Seth Shuman was selected in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB Draft by Oakland.
For the Eagles in 2018 the starting pitching was again the strong point with Brian Eichhorn earning First Team All-Sun Belt honors. Georgia Southern's weekend starters owned a 4.34 ERA while averaging more than five strikeouts per outing and tossing five complete games with four shutouts. The Eagle Bullpen nailed down 12 saves in the season with junior Chase Cohen recording five. Chase Cohen (Oakland), Brian Eichhorn (Cleveland), and Blakely Brown (New York Yankees) were all selected from the Eagles' roster in the 2018 MLB Draft.
In 2017, Georgia Southern's pitching staff led the way to 38 wins and the team's second-straight trip to the Sun Belt Championship Game. The team moved up a spot with a 4.10 staff ERA to rank third in the league and finished second in the Sun Belt with 541 strikeouts. Ryan Frederick led the league with a .127 opponent batting average, while freshman Seth Shuman posted eight wins to rank third in the league and earn Freshman All-American Honors. Three Eagle hurlers, Landon Hughes (Atlanta), Connor Simmons (Atlanta), and Jacob Condra-Bogan (Toronto) drafted in the 2017 MLB Draft. Overall, five Eagles were selected, matching the 1996 class for largest in school history.
The 2016 season saw the Eagle pitching staff develop as one of the league's strongest groups. The unit posted a 3.92 team ERA to rank fourth in the league. The Eagles led the league in fewest hits allowed with 7.22 while ranking third in the nation. The team finished with a 1.22 WHIP to rank third in the league. Georgia Southern's 2016 starting rotation featured a second team All-Sun Belt selection in Evan Challenger and a pair of stellar freshman arms in Chase Cohen.
Green helped the Eagles’ pitching staff lead the Southern Conference in ERA and post the third best ERA in school history (3.15) during the 2014 season. He also helped develop junior college transfer Josh Wirsu into the Southern Conference Pitcher of the Year, the second such honoree under Green, and had three pitchers drafted following the season.
The 2014 season saw stellar pitching performances from Sam Howard’s, third round draft pick of the Colorado Rockies, complete game shutout of #5 national seed Florida State in the NCAA Regional and Jason Richman’s Most Outstanding Player performance in the SoCon Tournament. Richman pitched in all six games of the SoCon Tournament and allowed just one run over 13.1 combined innings. Richman also was named a Tom Walter/Pete Frates College Baseball Inspiration Award Winner, Jewish Sports Review All-America First Team and All-Southern Conference Second Team relief pitcher.
Prior to joining the Eagles, Green served as the pitching coach for seven seasons at Alabama. During his 11-year career as a player and coach, Green helped the Crimson Tide to eight NCAA tournament appearances, three SEC Tournament Championships (1999, 2002 and 2003), two Super Regional appearances, the 2006 SEC regular season title, the 2002 SEC West championship and a 1999 College World Series appearance. Individual honors include 20 draftees, five major league debuts, two first-round picks, four Freshman All-Americans and a National and SEC Freshman of the Year.
While at Alabama, Green helped mold his players into some of the best pitchers in the country. In 2006, Alabama pitchers led the SEC with a 3.51 ERA. The 2004 pitching staff finished second in the conference and eighth in the NCAA with a 3.36 ERA.
Five of his former pitchers threw for major league clubs including Lance Cormier (Arizona, Atlanta, Baltimore, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles Dodgers), Wade LeBlanc (San Diego, Miami), Tommy Hunter (Texas, Baltimore), David Robertson (New York Yankees), and Taylor Tankersley (Miami, New York Mets).
Green also has served as the Harwich Mariners pitching coach in 2003.
Before his coaching tenure, Green was a letterman for the Crimson Tide from 1998-2001. He compiled an 18-4 (.818) career record and set the UA freshman record with eight wins on the mound in 1998.
As a member of the Tide, in 1999, Green helped lead the team to a third-place College World Series appearance and a SEC Tournament Championship.
A native of Gardendale, Ala., Green is a 2002 graduate of the University of Alabama in sports fitness management.
Green is married to the former Jessica Aliffi and the two are parents of a son Tripp and a daughter Viviann.
