Angels News: Ron Washington Addresses Future of Coaching Staff

Maren Angus-Coombs | Sep 26, 2024

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

If anything changes for the Los Angeles Angels next during for next season, it won't be to the coaching staff.

On Tuesday manager Ron Washington confirmed with reporters, including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, that he expects his entire coaching staff back.

Ron Washington said he expects his entire coaching staff to be back next year.

— Rhett Bollinger (@RhettBollinger) September 24, 2024

Washington knew this season would be tough but he wanted another chance to manage in the big leagues. He has been tasked with the impossible: reigniting an Angels team that hasn't made the postseason in 10 years.

The Angels will narrowly miss the 100-loss mark but Washington remains determined to make the Angels a winning franchise.

“I didn’t come in here worried about the circumstances because the only way to change them is to help make that change,” Washington said Wednesday. “Change is going to happen. But when you make changes, it’s not easy, and we’ve never been afraid of tough. I don’t want the players to be afraid of toughness, either.”

Despite being out of playoff contention by August, the clubhouse remains optimistic about the future.

“I’ve got a really young group that’s new to this,” Washington said. “We have kids who’ve never played in the minor leagues. They haven’t experienced the grind. So they’re going to have a lot of hiccups.”

In order to gain that experience, the young Halos had to go battle in the trenches.

“The only way you can get strength mentally is by going through it,” Washington said. “When they feel mentally tired, they’ll notice it coming on. They will check it when they feel it because they’ve let it take control before. They won’t allow it to take control again because they’ve embarrassed themselves, their teammates, and the organization.”

Washington and his staff stepped into the role with a clear set of goals in mind, focusing on instilling a strong work ethic in the players, encouraging consistency in their performance, and teaching them how to maintain their effort over time.

“What you see is those kids feeling the grind,” Washington said. “You can see it, and that’s OK because, in the end, that’s going to push them over the top.”

As the season wraps up this weekend, Washington is confident that his team has cultivated a solid work ethic, believing that consistency and sustainability will follow with more experience.

“The constants that give you success, we just touched the surface,” Washington said. “But that will be in motion each year we are here, and it will be better each year.”