Boston Red Sox Hire First Black Woman to Coach Professional Baseball

The Boston Red Sox recently hired 29-year-old Bianca Smith, the first Black woman to coach professional baseball, according to a report in the Boston Globe.

Red Sox Vice President of Player Development, Ben Crockett, said of Smith, “She’s had some really interesting experiences and has been passionate about growing her skillset and development herself.”

Prior to joining the Sox, Smith played softball at Dartmouth College. She also interned with the Texas Rangers in 2017 and with the Cincinnati Reds in 2019. She currently serves as an assistant baseball coach and hitting coordinator at Wisconsin’s Carroll University under head coach Stein Rear.

“I’m 45 years old, so, you know, when she brings in some of that technology, she brings a lot to the table that isn’t necessarily my strength. So it was good to have that piece for us, as well,” Rear said.

Smith’s background in analytics and studies in biomechanics is something she leans on when coaching. Smith told the MLB Network

, “I wanted to be able to see first how my athletes move and then what are the best drills that work for them in the constraints of their own body.”

Smith is expected to work with players at the Red Sox’s spring training complex in Fort Myers, Florida.