Alabama Baseball Turns to Maryland's Anthony Papio as Second Full-Time Assistant Coach
The Maryland to Alabama baseball pipeline has added another member.
Former Maryland assistant coach Anthony Papio is set to become the Crimson Tide's second full-time assistant coach, per Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball. Papio, a Maryland native who played and coached with the Terrapins, spent the last two seasons as an assistant on Rob Vaughn's staff.
Papio played in the outfield at Maryland from 2012 until 2016. After that, he became a student assistant, then began as a volunteer assistant in the 2018 season. The 2018 season was Vaughn's first as head coach.
The new hire joins Jason Jackson, who was elevated to associate head coach after an impressive 19-game stint as interim coach to close out the 2023 season, and Vaughn, who was hired as the program's new head coach a day after the end of the campaign. Papio's first season in a full-time capacity was Maryland's 48-win 2022 slate which saw an NCAA regional come to College Park.
Having strong connections is an important point of emphasis for Vaughn as he shepherds in a new era of Alabama baseball, and now he has added someone with whom he already has a solid rapport. Vaughn's staff has come together nicely, with the new head coach having also wanted to keep Jackson in Tuscaloosa.
See Also:
Who is Rob Vaughn? An Exclusive Q&A with Alabama Baseball’s New Head Guy
The Role Sweet Tea and Grits Played in Keeping Jason Jackson on Alabama Baseball Staff
New Alabama Baseball Coach Rob Vaughn His Own Man in Tuscaloosa