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Assistant coach Brandon Twiss enters his first season on the University of Utah coaching staff, overseeing the team's hitting and outfielders. Twiss will also coach base running, oversee recruiting and will also be in charge of camps and clinics.
Jacobs and Twiss worked together on the Miami RedHawk staff in 2006, helping MU to one of its most offensive seasons in program annals. During that season, Twiss guided the team's offense as it set school records for home runs in a season (33) and RBI in a season (188).
In addition to school marks, the RedHawk offense also paced the Mid-American Conference in a bevy of statistics in 2006. MU led the MAC with a .277 team batting average. The 2006 team raised its batting average 37 points from the 2005 total of .231.
However, guiding his teams to the league's best batting average is nothing new to Twiss. All four teams he has helped coach have led the league in hitting (Marshall in 2003, .293; Marshall in 2004, .268; Marshall in 2005, .278; and Miami in 2006, .277).
Prior to the 2006 season, Twiss was an assistant at Marshall University from 2003-05. The Thundering Herd amassed a 110-84 overall record and won Mid-American Conference regular-season titles in 2003 and 2005.
The 2005 season was Twiss' most successful year as an assistant as the Thundering Herd paced the MAC in nine offensive categories. Boasting one of the conference's most prolific offenses, the Thundering Herd led the league in batting average (.278), on-base percentage (.340), slugging percentage (.412), runs scored (255), hits (421), doubles (80), home runs (40), RBI (230) and stolen bases (90). Marshall led the conference in batting average in each of Twiss' three seasons, including a .293 mark in 2003.
One Marshall player was named NFCA Third-Team All-American and Ten Marshall players were named to the all-MAC first team in Twiss' three seasons, including 2004 MAC Player of the Year along with MAC Freshman of the Year in 2003 and 2005.
Twiss, a native of Canal Winchester, Ohio, graduated from Ohio University in 2002 with a degree in Physical Education. He is one class short of a Masters Degree in Athletic Administration from Marshall.
