Former Chicago Cubs Coach Gets First Managerial Job With Crosstown Rivals

After getting his first job with the Chicago Cubs, one of the franchise's past coaches will now be the manager of their crosstown rivals.

Aug 4, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Cubs first base coach Will Venable (25) gestures while talking in the dugout before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Wrigley Field. The Chicago Cubs won 7-2 / Jon Durr-Imagn Images

The Chicago Cubs made a shocking move last offseason when they announced the firing of manager David Ross and the hiring of Craig Counsell.

Not only was it surprising because the front office and ownership group had just given full support of Ross before moving on from him, but the Cubs also hired Counsell away from their division rival Milwaukee Brewers by making him the highest-paid skipper in Major League Baseball history.

The hope was this would get the most out of this underachieving group who missed out on the playoffs every year since 2020, and while that didn't occur this past season, Chicago is confident they have the right man leading them forward for years to come.

While the game of baseball is ultimately decided by the players on the field and the front office who puts a roster together, having the right manager in place is important during the long Major League Baseball season.

That's exactly what the Chicago White Sox were looking for after moving on from Pedro Grifol.

And according to Jeff Passan of ESPN, they are hiring Texas Rangers associate manager Will Venable to take over and lead that franchise moving forward.

The Chicago White Sox plan to hire Will Venable as their manager, sources tell me and @JesseRogersESPN.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 30, 2024

Venable has been with the Rangers working under legendary skipper Bruce Bochy since he was hired in November 2022, and during his first year in that role, he helped them win their first-ever World Series title.

The 42-year-old first got his start with the Cubs back in 2017 when he was hired to be the special assistant to then-president Theo Epstein. After a single season in that role, he was hired as the first base coach for 2018 and 2019 before moving to third base in 2020.

Venable was then hired away by Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox to serve as his bench coach, the position he held until Bochy brought him in.

The White Sox are hoping this hire will be the stabilizing force at the managerial position for them after only one skipper since Ozzie Guillen departed in 2011 has had a winning record.