Scott Coolbaugh

Scott Robert Coolbaugh (born June 13, 1966) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) third baseman and coach who played for the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres, and St. Louis Cardinals between 1989 and 1994.

Playing career Coolbaugh attended Theodore Roosevelt High School and the University of Texas-Austin. In 1985 and 1986, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Chatham A's of the Cape Cod Baseball League and was named a league all-star both seasons. He was selected by the Texas Rangers in the third round of the 1987 MLB draft.

Coolbaugh played for the Rangers in and , for the San Diego Padres in , and for the St. Louis Cardinals in . He also played two seasons in Japan for the Hanshin Tigers in and , and continued to play in the minor leagues until .

Coaching career In 1999, Coolbaugh played for the Triple-A Tucson Sidewinders and also was a player–coach for Double-A El Paso. In , he was the manager of the High Desert Mavericks, and in , he was the manager of the Lancaster JetHawks. In , he was again the hitting coach for El Paso. Coolbaugh served as El Paso's manager from –. From –, he was the hitting coach for Double-A Frisco in the Rangers' organization. On December 29, 2008, he was named the hitting coach for the Triple-A Oklahoma City RedHawks. On June 8, 2011, the Texas Rangers brought him in from their Triple-A affiliate, Round Rock, to replace hitting coach Thad Bosley.

On October 19, 2012, Coolbaugh was replaced as hitting coach by Dave Magadan. He was offered another job within the organization. Coolbaugh served as hitting coach for the Baltimore Orioles from 2015 through 2018. He then served as hitting coach for the Oklahoma City Dodgers in 2019. Coolbaugh was hired by the Chicago White Sox as their assistant hitting coach prior to the 2020 season.

On November 7, 2020, Coolbaugh was named hitting coach for the Detroit Tigers, a position he served in until being dismissed following the 2022 season.

On January 17, 2023, the San Diego Padres hired Coolbaugh as their assistant hitting coach. After two seasons, he left in late 2024. On January 21, 2026, Coolbaugh was announced as hitting coordinator within San Diego's player development department.

Personal Coolbaugh is the brother of the late major league player and minor league coach Mike Coolbaugh, who was killed when he was struck on the left side of his neck below the ear by a line drive while serving as the first base coach for the Tulsa Drillers.