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Former Gator and major leaguer Matt Den Dekker has taken a job on the Charleston Southern coaching staff for 2021.
Den Dekker was an integral part of the Florida Gators from 2007-10, helping the program reach the College World Series in 2010.
Playing Career
Den Dekker came to UF and had an immediate impact.
He had a career .310 batting average and earned All-SEC first-team honors in 2008. According to floridagators.com, Den Dekker ranks in the Gators’ top 10 for career runs scored (220, fourth), stolen bases (65, t-fifth), and hits (262, t-eighth).
Den Dekker was drafted in the fifth round by the New York Mets in 2010, and debuted in the major leagues in 2013. His six-year MLB career included stops with the Mets, Washington Nationals and Detroit Tigers.
In his MLB career, the lefty-swinging Den Dekker hit .271 with a .335 on-base percentage, 487 runs scored and 401 runs batted in, in addition to 112 stolen bases on 152 attempts.
Coaching Career
Den Dekker officially retired from baseball in 2019. The 31-year-old wanted to stay in the game, so he returned to the Swamp as a student coach last year.
Nice get for @CSUBucsBaseball, a former MLB player on Marc MacMillan's new staff: https://t.co/Nl37pZmsXl
— @sapakoff (@Sapakoff) June 10, 2020
In 2021, Den Dekker will be heading to Charleston Southern as an assistant coach. Charleston Southern revamped their coaching staff this year, hiring Marc MacMillan from Ole Miss.
Den Dekker joined Steve Russell on Sportscene with Steve Russell. Den Dekker talked about his first crack at coaching and his love of baseball.
Known for his defensive prowess, Den Dekker will be working with the hitters and the outfielders in his new role.
