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.
| Todd Guilliams • Team Highlights |
2017 • Kentucky
• Led SEC in 12 offensive categories
• Most hits in program history (706)
2018 • Kentucky
• Led SEC in OBP, slugging and runs/game
• Nation-leading 13 MLB Draft selections
2020 • Kentucky
• Hit .301 as a team
2021 • Kentucky
• Most stolen bases in SEC play
• Fewest errors in SEC
2022 • Utah
• Set program records for the Pac-12 era in seven offensive categories |
| Player Development |
2017 MLB Draft Highlights
Evan White (SEA - 1st round)
• Second Team All-American
• MLB Debut - July 24, 2020
Riley Mahan (MIA - 3rd round)
• First Team All-American
Zach Reks (LAD - 10th round)
• MLB Debut - June 21, 2021
Conner Heady (LAD - 23rd round)
2018 MLB Draft Highlights
Tristan Pompey (MIA - 3rd round)
• Third Team All-American
Kole Cottam (BOS - 4th round)
• Second Team All-American
Luke Heyer (LAD - 10th round)
• Third Team All-American
Luke Becker (SD - 9th round)
Troy Squires (TOR - 23rd round)
Ben Aklinski (PHI - 32rd round)
2019 MLB Draft Highlights
Ryan Shinn (NYM - 34th round)
2021 MLB Draft/FA Highlights
John Rhodes (BAL - 3rd round)
• Co-National Freshman of the Year (2020)
Austin Schultz (DET - 10th round)
• Second Team All-American
Coltyn Kessler (MIA - FA) |
Guilliams similarly worked his magic at Kentucky. UK was a dominant offensive club under Guilliams' direction, as the Wildcats led the SEC in a total of 12 offensive statistical categories, while also producing five All-Americans in as many seasons in Lexington.
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.
Todd Guilliams • Coaching History
2022-present • Utah • Assistant Coach
2017-21 • Kentucky • Assistant Coach
2016 • Western Carolina • Assistant Coach
2008-15 • Valdosta State • Assistant Coach
2001-07 • Embry-Riddle • Assistant Coach
2000 • Dallas Baptist • Assistant Coach
1992-99 • Embry-Riddle • Assistant Coach
1990 • Eastern Kentucky • Volunteer Assistant
1988-89 • Eastern Kentucky • Graduate Assistant
Gold Gloves Won Under Guilliams
2022 • Alex Baeza – 1B – Utah
2017 • Evan White – 1B – Kentucky
2008 • Chase Blackwood – C – Valdosta State
2000 • Eric Darjean – CF – Dallas Baptist
Catchers to Sign with MLB Organizations
2021 • Coltyn Kessler – Miami Marlins
2018 • Kole Cottam – Boston Red Sox
2018 • Troy Squires – Toronto Blue Jays
2015 • Bryant Hayman – Minnesota Twins
2008 • Chase Blackwood – Chicago White Sox
2005 • Richie Cormier – Milwaukee Brewers
2004 • Mickey Kropf – Detroit Tigers
2002 • Justin Smith – Texas Rangers
1997 • Jared Mathis – Milwaukee Brewers
1994 • Chuck Antczak – Chicago White Sox
