Coaching Staff
Todd Guilliams
Assistant Coach
Todd Guilliams returns for his second season at Utah, after a 2022 season in which the Utes got off to their best start in 40-plus years and finished with one of the top offensive campaigns in the program’s Pac-12 era.
With an established reputation of coaching outstanding hitters, Guilliams came to Utah after helping teams to league-leading offensive production at his last three stops in Valdosta State, Western Carolina and Kentucky.
That trend continued in his first season with the Utes, which saw the program’s top marks in runs per game (6.1), hits (524), doubles (112), home runs (41), total bases (795), walks (230) and on-base percentage (.381) since joining the Pac-12. It also went on the books as the program’s top fielding percentage (.973) in that same span.
Second baseman Landon Frei had a standout freshman season in ’22 and catcher Davis Cop came on the scene en route to Pac-12 All-Conference honors for both. Frei (.330) was one of two rookies in the league to lead their team in hitting and finished the regular season as the fifth-toughest freshman to strikeout nationally. Cop was one of the most consistent bats in conference play with a .367 clip, and left fielder TJ Clarkson clubbed the most homers by a Ute in the Pac-12 era. Defensively, first baseman Alex Baeza won Utah’s first-ever ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove, the fourth player to win the award under Guilliams’ tutelage.
The 2017 Wildcats ballclub finished 43-23 and reached the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time in program history. It capped a remarkable run for UK, which started the season just 2-5 before turning the tables and playing for the SEC Regular Season Championship on the final day of play. The team reached the top five in the national polls, led the SEC in runs scored, and won three elimination games in two days to win its Regional and advance to Supers.
As the offense hummed along, every player in UK's everyday lineup had career years. Riley Mahan, Tristan Pompey and Evan White each were named All-Americans and were voted first- or second-team All-SEC. Catcher Troy Squires also earned second-team All-SEC, while Zach Reks hit .352 for the season. Mahan, Pompey and White all ranked among the nation's elite hitters, with Pompey ranking second in hits and fifth in runs nationally.
Guilliams went to Kentucky after one season at Western Carolina, where he was the hitting coach and ran the offense, in addition to coaching the catchers. In 2016, the WCU offense led the SoCon in several categories and ranked in the nation's top 25 in batting average (.304, 24th in the nation), runs scored (453 runs, 18th) and home runs (72 HR, ninth).
Guilliams spent 2008-15 at Division II Valdosta State, where he was part of more than 250 wins, three NCAA Regional appearances and two Gulf South Conference championships during his eight seasons there.
During his time at Valdosta State, Guilliams was the team's hitting coach, worked with the catchers and was VSU's Coordinator of Academic Services. He also shared recruiting duties with his brother, head coach Greg Guilliams. Valdosta State posted a pair of 43-win seasons during Guilliams' time on staff, doing so in 2009 and 2010. In addition to those two seasons, the Blazers made the NCAA Tournament in 2013 after their second GSC title. With Guilliams on staff, four VSU teams (2008, ’09, ’10, ’13) finished in the top-25 national polls.
One of the banner seasons for Guilliams came in 2009 as the team led the nation with a school-record 113 home runs -- the fourth-most in NCAA Division II history, and the most by any D2 ballclub since 1998. The Blazers finished eighth nationally with 578 runs scored and were 11th with a .561 slugging percentage. As a squad, Guilliams guided the Valdosta State batters to a .332 batting average, the highest mark by the Blazers since 1986. Guilliams' approach of plate discipline was also manifested as VSU drew 276 walks on the year, ninth-best in the nation. Overall, the 2009 Valdosta State squad ranked in the top 50, out of 228 schools, in 14 of the 15 offensive categories tracked by the NCAA.
Guilliams' ability to teach the offensive side of the ball also was evident in the personal performance of a pair of Blazers, Brandon Decker and Chase Blackwood, who hit 22 home runs on the year, falling just one short of the school record. Four additional Blazers hit double-digit home runs, giving the 2009 squad a school-record six to accomplish the feat in a single season, while Decker and Matt Costello both hit over .400 on the year.
Prior to making the move to Valdosta, Guilliams and his brother built a powerhouse at Embry-Riddle University, an NAIA institution in Daytona Beach, Florida. Together they won 622 games, against just 228 losses, in 15 years at the school, made six NAIA World Series appearances and topped the national polls for several weeks during 1999, 2002, ’04 and ’05. Under his watch, Embry-Riddle was the winningest college baseball program in Florida from 1997-2007 with an .805 winning percentage.
Todd served as the hitting, catching and outfield instructor for the program, which produced 44 NAIA All-America selections. He was also responsible for calling pitches and serving as the program's strength and conditioning coach while filling the role as Embry-Riddle's athletic fields manager for the school's baseball, track and field and soccer complex. Additionally, he spent time as the school's sports information director as well as the academic enhancement coordinator.
He briefly stepped away from Embry-Riddle for the 2000 season, helping Dallas Baptist to a runner-up finish at the NAIA World Series.
A 1988 graduate of Eastern Kentucky, earning a degree in sport supervision, Guilliams was an Ohio Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete and twice won the Turkey Hughes Scholarship. He was the Colonels' team captain in 1988 while earning Dean's List recognition. He went on to earn his master's degree in physical education in 1990 while serving as an assistant at his alma mater.
Off the field, Guilliams authored a book entitled High-Scoring Baseball: The Complete Guide to Run Production. He has also been a featured speaker numerous times, including at the ABCA national convention and, most recently, at the Best Ever Coaches Clinic in Toronto in January, 2016.
Guilliams and his wife, Julie, have been married 30 years and have three children, Casey, Grace and Wyatt. They are also proud first-time grandparents to Harper, the daughter of Casey Guilliams and his wife, Claire.
Mike Brown
Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator
Assistant coach Mike Brown enters his second season at Utah, after being named to Gary Henderson’s staff in Summer 2021. Brown serves as Utah’s third base coach and recruiting coordinator, as well as working with the outfielders and assisting with hitting & baserunning.
Brown guided transitions to the outfield for TJ Clarkson (left field) and Kai Roberts (right field) in 2022, after the pair had largely played first and third base, respectively, during 2021. At the plate, Clarkson hit the most home runs in a season during Utah’s time in the Pac-12, highlighting one of the best offensive seasons for the Utes since joining the league. It included Pac-12 era team records in runs scored (335), hits (524), doubles (112), home runs (41), total bases (795), walks (230) and on-base percentage (.381).
Davis Cop and Landon Frei both impressed during their first season at Utah, both earning Pac-12 All-Conference honors to highlight a trio of Pac-12 awards. Alex Baeza, whom Brown had previously coached at Hawaii, won Utah’s first-ever ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove at first base and was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.
He came to Salt Lake City after spending 2019-21 with the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors as associate head coach. Like Brown’s previous stops, he led the UH’s offense to new heights and made an immediate impact his first season by coaching four position players to All-Big West accolades – including the 2019 Big West Freshman Hitter of the Year in Scotty Scott, the first in UH history since joining the BWC.
In 2021, Brown saw Dustin Demeter named National Player of the Week by two different publications after driving in 14 runs with three homers and 11 total hits in UH’s series win over Cal State Fullerton. Kaler also became the first Rainbow Warrior and sixth all-time to hit for the cycle when he accomplished the feat against UC Riverside (April 10). Demeter finished the year on the All-Big West First-Team and as the league’s top designated hitter while Adam Fogel earned second-team honors.
In a COVID-19 shortened season of 2020, the Rainbow Warriors led the league in doubles (32) and triples (8) while ranking in the top-five nationally in sacrifice bunts (4th) and sacrifice flies (3rd). Brown also helped JUCO transfer Kole Kaler lead the team in batting average (.407) that year and was named the 29th best shortstop of 2020 after starting the year unranked.
Prior to joining the Rainbow Warriors, Brown spent a pair of seasons with Mississippi State where he reunited with Gary Henderson. His first year in Starkville saw the Bulldogs advance to the NCAA Super Regionals and compiled a 40-27 overall mark. With Henderson at the helm and Brown by his side, Hail State went on to have a storybook 2018 campaign and advanced to the College World Series semifinals. MSU’s run saw the Bulldogs win four-straight in the Tallahassee Regional before taking down Vanderbilt in three games and earn a spot in Omaha. Mississippi State took advantage of its opportunity and won its first two games at TD Ameritrade Ballpark before falling to the eventual champions, Oregon State.
Brown came to Starkville via New Mexico State, where he spent two seasons as the Aggies' assistant coach. Brown helped oversee NMSU’s hitters, hitting system and coached third base, while also overseeing the squad’s outfield. Brown was an instrumental part in New Mexico State making the biggest turnaround in college baseball in 2016, with the Aggies posting a 23-win improvement to finish 34-23.
Under Brown's leadership, the Aggies' offense made impressive strides from 2015 and dominated the Western Athletic Conference, leading the way in a multitude of categories. In total, NMSU led the WAC in batting (.297), slugging percentage (.445), runs (371), RBIs (344), doubles (112), home runs (49), HBPs (65) and total bases (887).
Brown's leadership also helped provide one of the best individual seasons in New Mexico State history, as junior outfielder Daniel Johnson became the first Aggie since 2009 to earn All-American honors. Along with being named to the ABCA/Rawlings All-American Third Team, Johnson also garnered WAC Player of the Year honors, All-WAC Team laurels and was listed to the ABCA/Rawlings First Team All-Region.
Along with Johnson, the 2016 season saw the Aggies have the first All-American pitcher in school history, as Kyle Bradish was named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. In total, Brown and New Mexico State had two All-Americans, one conference player of the year and five total All-WAC honorees.
Prior to joining the Aggies, Brown spent 2013 and ‘14 working at Kentucky under Gary Henderson. In his two seasons at UK, Brown helped direct the Wildcats to the semifinals of the SEC Tournament and an NCAA Regional Finals appearance. Brown had a number of responsibilities with the Wildcats, including serving as first-base coach for six Southeastern Conference games. Brown assisted in practice management, planning and coordination, while also working directly with the Wildcat hitters.
In his two seasons, Brown helped develop one of the top players in collegiate baseball history in A.J. Reed. Reed was a dominant double threat, sweeping the national awards while leading the NCAA in home runs, slugging percentage and OPS and pacing the rigorous SEC in wins on the mound. Reed's success led him to be named the unanimous national player of the year and the highest-drafted player under Brown (second round, Houston Astros, 2014).
He was the manager for the Fulton Railroaders Summer Baseball Club in the Ohio Valley League during the summer of 2014. Brown managed the team to a 22-18 record, finishing second place in the league. The Railroaders capped the year on a high note, winning 12 of their last 14 games, losing their final two in the playoffs. The Railroaders led the Ohio Valley League in batting average, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, total hits and walks under Brown's management.
The summer prior, Brown spent time with the Amsterdam Mohawks in the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL). As an assistant coach, he helped coordinate the offense while also helping on the defensive side. The squad won the PGCBL Championship with a record of 25-18, while winning 20 of its last 22 games.
He also had a three-year stint as the director of baseball at KOA Sports. There, he coached the 16-and-under and the 18-and-under showcase teams. While expanding the KOA Sports name, Brown held after-school clinics and served as a mentor to kids both on and off the field.
Brown capped a standout playing career at Kentucky in 2007 and immediately joined the program as a graduate assistant coach. In his first year on staff, UK won a school-record 44 games and advancing to the championship game of the 2008 NCAA Ann Arbor Regional. Brown also helped develop two All-American position players in Sawyer Carroll (OF) and Collin Cowgill (OF).
As a former baseball player at UK from 2006-07, Brown led the Wildcats to a historic pair of seasons and finished with his name all over the Wildcats' record book. After helping UK to the 2006 SEC Championship and hosting an NCAA Regional in his first season as a reserve utility man, Brown emerged as a star for SEC Coach of the Year John Cohen's 2007 squad. Brown led the club with a .369 average (eighth in the SEC) and 68 runs. Brown's 1.28 average runs scored per game earned him a ninth-place finish in the NCAA that season as well. He finished 2007 ranked seventh in single-season history in runs, ninth in on-base percentage (.486), fourth in sacrifice bunts (12) and ninth in hit by pitches (18).
He also played for Cuesta College before transferring to UK, where he was the only player in school history with a career average over .400 after earning a scorching .409 clip. In 2005, Brown was awarded the Western State Conference Player of the Year and was named a California Junior College Baseball All-American. Brown was also recognized for being the Cuesta Athlete of the Year in 2005.
In his 12 years in the coaching field, Brown helped produce top collegiate talent that has advanced to the professional level. Brown has had 26 players drafted, including six in the top five rounds. Four of those players have reached the Major League level.
A California native, Brown was born in Woodland and raised in Davis. Brown is the son of Scott and Sandra Brown, with an older brother, Rich. Brown and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters, Riki and Anna.
Brown earned his bachelor’s degree from Kentucky in agricultural academics (2008) and later received his masters of education in sports management and leadership in June 2014.
Troy Squires
Volunteer Assistant Coach
Utah head baseball coach Gary Henderson announced the addition of volunteer assistant coach Troy Squires in Fall 2021. He assists the Utes catchers and also leads the program’s various camps.
Squires helped Davis Cop to Pac-12 All-Conference accolades in 2022, a notable accomplishment given Cop had appeared in just one of Utah’s first nine games. Cop transitioned into the No. 1 catcher role following injuries, and under Squires’ guidance he entered the conversation as one of the top catchers in the Pac-12 Conference.
Squires arrived in Salt Lake City after a stint at Kentucky, his alma mater, where he was a graduate assistant coach in 2019 and ’20.
Prior to entering the coaching world, the former catcher spent the 2018 professional season with the GCL Blue Jays. It was a well-deserved reward for tireless effort and dedication during Squires’ five-year collegiate career. First arriving to Kentucky as a walk-on infielder in 2014, he converted to catcher and went on to be selected by the Blue Jays in the 23rd round of the 2018 MLB Draft.
Squires was a .264 career hitter over 154 games played, adding 25 doubles, six home runs, 88 RBI and 73 runs scored. He departed the Wildcats owning several top-10 program rankings, including career sacrifices (3rd; 35), career hit by pitch (9th; 30) and both the fourth and fifth-best single-season marks for sacrifices. He was part of two NCAA postseason teams, as Kentucky reached the Louisville Regional in 2014 before returning there for the 2017 Super Regionals.
His career culminated as the recipient of the 2018 Senior CLASS Award, becoming the first UK student-athlete to receive the award in any sport. Squires was also inducted into Kentucky Athletics’ Frank G. Ham Society of Character.
During his collegiate playing career, Squires played for all three other coaches now on the Utah staff, including Henderson (2014-16), as well as assistants Mike Brown (2014) and Todd Guilliams (2017-18).
Squires is a double alumnus of Kentucky, earning his Bachelor’s degree in communications in 2017 and a Master’s in sports leadership in 2020. He and his wife, Kristen, were married in December 2021.