NASHVILLE – The Nashville Sounds, in conjunction with the Milwaukee Brewers, are excited to announce the on-field staff for the 2025 season. Rick Sweet is at the helm of Nashville’s coaching staff for the fifth consecutive season (sixth season overall) and his 12th as a manager in the Brewers’ organization. In his five years as the Sounds skipper, Sweet is the all-time winningest manager in Nashville history with a record of 399-316 (.558) and enters the 2025 campaign with the fifth-most wins in Minor League history – second-most among active managers.
Joining Sweet’s staff in 2025 are Justin Meccage (Pitching Coach), Bryan Leslie (Pitching Coach), Tim Doherty (Hitting Coach), Zack Jones (Hitting Coach), David Tufo (Bench Coach), Eric Bunnell (Coach), Jeff Paxson (Athletic Trainer), Andrew Emmick (Strength and Conditioning), Morgan Buckley (Associate Strength and Conditioning Coach), and Brian Chagnon (Video Coordinator).
“I’m very excited for this fresh group of coaches this year,” said Sweet. “We have had a veteran staff and it’s always exciting when staff members get elevated like players do. The Brewers did extensive research from inside and outside the organization to put together a staff aimed at maximizing development, and helping the organization compete for championships at all levels. I’m excited to get started with this group in Arizona at spring training.”
Sweet has served as the Brewers’ Triple-A manager for each of the last 11 seasons and the upcoming season will be his 35th as a minor league manager in total. He has been named International League Manager of the Year three times (‘22, ‘09, ‘08) and was the Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year in 1994. In addition, he was named Baseball America’s Triple-A Manager of the Year in 2010. Sweet had a nine-year playing career (1975-83), including 272 games in the big leagues between San Diego, New York-NL, and Seattle. Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 31st round of the 1974 amateur draft, he did not sign and continued his collegiate playing career at Gonzaga University before being selected by the Padres in the 3rd round of the 1975 amateur draft.
Meccage (pronounced “message”) joins the Brewers after spending the previous 14 seasons in the Pirates’ organization, including the last seven at the Major League level where he was the bullpen coach (2020-24) and assistant pitching coach (2018-19). Meccage was the minor league pitching coordinator in 2017, overseeing the pitching efforts at each of their minor league affiliates. This will be his first stint at the Triple-A level. Meccage was selected by the New York Yankees in the 32nd round of the 2002 First-Year Player Draft out of Oklahoma State University and played for two seasons before transitioning into coaching.
Leslie is in his fifth season with the Brewers and will spend his first at an affiliate in 2025 as a Sounds pitching coach. He was hired as the assistant pitching coordinator with the Brewers in 2020 and also serves as the Lead Strategist of Pitching Development within the Brewers player development department. He previously worked for three years as a throwing trainer for Driveline Baseball after a collegiate playing career at Division-III Knox College in Illinois.
Doherty begins his second season as a hitting coach in the Brewers organization. He was the hitting coach for High-A Wisconsin last year and joined the Brewers after two years as a hitting coach in the Washington Nationals system. Doherty spent the 2021 season coaching in the big leagues for the Colorado Rockies after five seasons coaching in their organization, including two years with Triple-A Albuquerque.
Jones joins the Brewers for his first season, and his first at the Triple-A level as a hitting coach for Nashville. He previously coached in the Philadelphia Phillies organization at their Dominican Republic complex from 2020-24. Most recently, he was the lead hitting trainer at Driveline Baseball in Seattle, WA.
Tufo returns to Nashville for the second consecutive season and his fifth overall in the Milwaukee system. Previous stops in the Brewers farm system include serving as the bench coach for Single-A Wisconsin (2023) and manager for the Arizona Complex League Brewers Gold (2021-22). Primarily at first base last season, Tufo will head across the diamond and serve as the club’s third base coach in 2025.
Bunnell will spend his first season at the Triple-A level in his second year in the Brewers organization. He comes to Nashville after serving as a development coach with Wisconsin last year and will be the first base coach for the Sounds. He has over 20 years of coaching experience, primarily in the college ranks.
Paxson will be the team’s athletic trainer for the fourth straight season and ninth overall with Nashville (2005-09). This will be his 31st season in the Brewers system. In 2024, he was named the International League Athletic Trainer of the Year for the second straight year. Additionally, Paxson was honored as the Professional Baseball Athletic Trainers Society (PBATS) Minor League Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2024, the second time winning that award (2011). In total, Paxson has been named as the Athletic Trainer of the Year nine times between his stops in the Midwest League, California League, and Pacific Coast League.
Emmick is another returnee for Sweet’s staff. It will be his fifth consecutive season with Nashville and his 10th overall (2010-14) with the Sounds. In his 17th season with the Brewers, Emmick has spent the last 11 as the club’s Triple-A strength and conditioning specialist.
Buckley joined the Brewers in January after previously working for the University of Auburn and Tennessee. Chagnon joined the Brewers as a minor league data tracking operator in April of 2022.
Of note, Ned Yost IV, who spent the last four seasons in Nashville as bench coach has been promoted within the Brewers Player Development Staff and will serve as the Outfield and Baserunning Coordinator. To view the Brewers PD Staff release, click here or to view full affiliate coaching staffs by clicking here.
The Nashville Sounds are the Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers and play at First Horizon Park. Opening Night of the 2025 season is set for Friday, March 28 at 6:35 p.m. against the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Triple-A, Miami Marlins). Season ticket memberships are available now. For more information call 615-690-4487 or email [email protected]
Source: Nashville Sounds
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