Arizona hires Saint Mary's Jack Meggs as hitting coach; Gaels lead nation in doubles

The UA on Wednesday hired Jack Meggs of Saint Mary’s to try to boost an offense that ranked last in the Big 12 in multiple categories this past season.

Saint Mary’s is the alma mater of Toby DeMello, whom Meggs is succeeding. DeMello was let go after five seasons at Arizona.

Meggs helped Saint Mary’s upset No. 1 overall seed UCLA in the NCAA Tournament this past weekend. The Gaels went 2-0 against the Bruins in Los Angeles before being eliminated by Cal Poly.

Entering this weekend’s games, Saint Mary’s ranked first in the nation in doubles, second in hits, third in batting average and eighth in triples. The Gaels ranked 28th in slugging percentage and 39th in on-base percentage.

"Jack is one of the brightest young coaches in the sport, and he has done an exceptional job over the past four seasons helping coordinate the offense at Saint Mary's," said Arizona head coach Chip Hale. 

Meggs extended gratitude to the staff and players at Saint Mary's as he looked ahead to his new opportunity.

"The University of Arizona is a place with unbelievable baseball history and tradition, and it is a privilege to be part of the Wildcat program," he said. "I can't wait to meet our players and get to work."

Meggs, 31, is the son of longtime Washington head coach Lindsay Meggs. Jack Meggs played outfield for his father from 2014-17 before being selected in the 10th round of the '17 MLB Draft by the Athletics. He spent three years in pro ball before pursuing coaching.

Meggs was a graduate assistant at Kansas before becoming the Jayhawks’ hitting coach in 2022. He served as Saint Mary’s hitting coach from 2023-26, earning a promotion to associate head coach in '25. The Gaels won the West Coast Conference Tournament each of the past two seasons.