Page 37 - 2021 ATL Media Guide

DREW

french 58 FRONT OFFICE

BULLPEN COACH
Full Name: Drew C. French
Height: 5-11 Weight: 200
DOB: July 19, 1984 Opening Day Age: 36 DREW FRENCH
Born: Austin, TX Resides: Birmingham, AL
Seasons on the Braves Coaching Staff: 1st
Seasons on a Major League Coaching Staff: 1st

• Drew French is in his first season on a major- • With the Crimson Tide, the team
league coaching staff...He oversees the team’s appeared in the NCAA Tournament each
bullpen. season, including reaching the NCAA PLAYER BIOS
• Prior to joining the Braves in his current role, he Super Regional in 2010.
spent five seasons (2016-20) as a pitching coach • Also at Alabama, French was the Director
in the Houston Astros organization. of Community Outreach, and helped the
• In 2020, French worked as one of two pitching baseball program win the University’s
coaches at Houston’s alternate training site...He 2010 Community Outreach Award...The
then joined the Astros for the end of the regular award is given annually to the university’s
season and playoffs as the pitching coach for the athletic team that puts in the most SEASON IN REVIEW
club’s major-league taxi squad. community service hours in an academic
• The season prior, 2019, French served as year...The baseball program registered
Triple-A Round Rock’s pitching coach...Under over 1,000 hours of community service in
his guidance, Express pitchers set a franchise the 2009-10 academic year.
record with 1,265 strikeouts...The club posted • Following his time at Alabama, French
12 shutout victories, second most in the Pacific spent two seasons as an assistant coach
Coast League. at Florida International University (2012-
• He joined the Astros in 2016 as pitching coach 13) and two at Division II Lee University in PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
for Short-Season Tri-City. Cleveland, Tenn (2014-15).
• The Austin, TX native graduated from Stephen F.
• In the following two seasons, he help teams win
championship titles, first as pitching coach for Austin (TX) High School in 2002 before playing
the 2017 Midwest League Champion Quad Cities collegiately in his hometown at Concordia
River Bandits (A), and then as pitching coach for University.
the 2018 Carolina League Champion Buies Creek • He was a right-handed pitcher and played
Astros (A+). outfield. BRAVES HISTORY
• Before coaching in professional baseball, French • At Concordia, he was a three-time
spent nine seasons in similar roles with four Academic All-Southwestern Conference
different universities. selection, earned the Dawnna Dukes
• He began his coaching career at his alma Leadership Award and was named
mater, Concordia University, in 2007... the Texas State Representative for
He served as the pitching coach and academics...He graduated in 2006 with a
recruiting coordinator. degree in business administration and a OPPONENTS
minor in communication.
• French then spent four seasons with the
University of Alabama, two as a volunteer • French and his wife, Kate, have two children, one
assistant (2008-09) and two as the son, Cooper, and one daugher, Larsen.
Director of Baseball Operations (2010-11).

2021 ATLANTA BRAVES MEDIA GUIDE 37 MISCELLANEOUS