University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Kyle Cheesebrough Added to Baseball Coaching Staff
7/9/2026 10:00:00 AM | Baseball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss Baseball announced the hiring Thursday of Kyle Cheesebrough as Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator for head coach Christian Ostrander.
"Kyle brings an incredible wealth of experience of having coached at the highest level of college baseball in his role for us," said Ostrander. "We are not only excited for that experience he brings, but also we feel he is a perfect fit for the culture of our program."
Cheesebrough comes to Southern Miss after spending a season at Houston. A member of the 2021 College World Series Champion coaching staff at Mississippi State and a four-time College World Series coach, Cheesebrough will also assist with hitters and defense.
In his 17-year career as a college assistant coach, Cheesebrough has used his experience to fill a unique role on each staff. Cheesebrough helped Mississippi State to the College World Series in 2019 and the 2021 national title after spending four years at Indiana (2015-18), three at the Louisville (2012-14) two of which culminated in College World Series appearances, and one year with the Pittsburgh (2011). He also spent one season as an undergraduate assistant at Louisville in 2010 while finishing his degree.
As a coach, Cheesebrough has been a part of 11 NCAA Tournament teams and made four trips to the College World Series, including in 2025 when Mississippi State went from being 26-18 on April 28 after relieving its head coach of his duties, to make an NCAA Regional for the second consecutive year. Along with helping Mississippi State reach Omaha in his first season on staff, Cheesebrough was a part of back-to-back College World Series squads at Louisville. He also made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances as a student-athlete at Louisville, reaching the 2009 Fullerton Super Regional.
Overall, 18 student-athletes Cheesebrough has recruited or coached have earned All-American honors, while eight others have garnered Freshman All-America status. He has worked with 66 all-conference selections during his time as a coach, which includes the trio of Tanner Allen, Justin Foscue, and Jake Mangum, who each earned first-team All-SEC during the 2019 season. In 2025, Cheesebrough tutored Ace Reece to All-SEC First-Team honors.
Cheesebrough had a hand in 21 draft picks during the 2019 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft, as a school-record-tying 11 Mississippi State student-athletes and program-record 10 Indiana student-athletes were selected in the draft. The Mississippi State total ranked third nationally, while the Indiana total was tied for fifth among NCAA Division I programs.
In 17 years as a collegiate coach, Cheesebrough has seen 66 of his pupils' names called in the Major League Baseball Draft, with over 20 former players reaching the big leagues. In his first coaching stop at Pittsburgh, both Kevan Smith and Ray Black were selected in the seventh round and each have reached the Major Leagues, Joe Harvey was selected in the 19th round and reached the majors, while Matt Wotherspoon was drafted in the 34th round and reached the Major Leagues. Fourteen more big leaguers came during his time at Louisville, including Nick Burdi, Cody Ege, Adam Engel, Chad Green, Matt Koch, Kyle McGrath, Will Smith, Nick Solak, and Tim Herrin, Andrew Saalfrank, Jonathan Stiever, Caleb Baragar, Scott Effross and Kyle Hart from Indiana.
Cheesbrough replaces Travis Creel, who left after seven seasons to become the head coach at Jacksonville State. Current assistant coach Ladd Rhodes will transition into the hitting coach role for the Golden Eagles.
"Kyle brings an incredible wealth of experience of having coached at the highest level of college baseball in his role for us," said Ostrander. "We are not only excited for that experience he brings, but also we feel he is a perfect fit for the culture of our program."
Cheesebrough comes to Southern Miss after spending a season at Houston. A member of the 2021 College World Series Champion coaching staff at Mississippi State and a four-time College World Series coach, Cheesebrough will also assist with hitters and defense.
In his 17-year career as a college assistant coach, Cheesebrough has used his experience to fill a unique role on each staff. Cheesebrough helped Mississippi State to the College World Series in 2019 and the 2021 national title after spending four years at Indiana (2015-18), three at the Louisville (2012-14) two of which culminated in College World Series appearances, and one year with the Pittsburgh (2011). He also spent one season as an undergraduate assistant at Louisville in 2010 while finishing his degree.
As a coach, Cheesebrough has been a part of 11 NCAA Tournament teams and made four trips to the College World Series, including in 2025 when Mississippi State went from being 26-18 on April 28 after relieving its head coach of his duties, to make an NCAA Regional for the second consecutive year. Along with helping Mississippi State reach Omaha in his first season on staff, Cheesebrough was a part of back-to-back College World Series squads at Louisville. He also made a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances as a student-athlete at Louisville, reaching the 2009 Fullerton Super Regional.
Overall, 18 student-athletes Cheesebrough has recruited or coached have earned All-American honors, while eight others have garnered Freshman All-America status. He has worked with 66 all-conference selections during his time as a coach, which includes the trio of Tanner Allen, Justin Foscue, and Jake Mangum, who each earned first-team All-SEC during the 2019 season. In 2025, Cheesebrough tutored Ace Reece to All-SEC First-Team honors.
Cheesebrough had a hand in 21 draft picks during the 2019 Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft, as a school-record-tying 11 Mississippi State student-athletes and program-record 10 Indiana student-athletes were selected in the draft. The Mississippi State total ranked third nationally, while the Indiana total was tied for fifth among NCAA Division I programs.
In 17 years as a collegiate coach, Cheesebrough has seen 66 of his pupils' names called in the Major League Baseball Draft, with over 20 former players reaching the big leagues. In his first coaching stop at Pittsburgh, both Kevan Smith and Ray Black were selected in the seventh round and each have reached the Major Leagues, Joe Harvey was selected in the 19th round and reached the majors, while Matt Wotherspoon was drafted in the 34th round and reached the Major Leagues. Fourteen more big leaguers came during his time at Louisville, including Nick Burdi, Cody Ege, Adam Engel, Chad Green, Matt Koch, Kyle McGrath, Will Smith, Nick Solak, and Tim Herrin, Andrew Saalfrank, Jonathan Stiever, Caleb Baragar, Scott Effross and Kyle Hart from Indiana.
Cheesbrough replaces Travis Creel, who left after seven seasons to become the head coach at Jacksonville State. Current assistant coach Ladd Rhodes will transition into the hitting coach role for the Golden Eagles.
Friday, October 20
Tuesday, August 22
Thursday, August 17
Saturday, August 12