The New York Mets today announced the Bisons’ 2012 coaching staff as follows:
Wally Backman – Manager
Wally Backman will enter his first season as Bisons manager in 2012. Backman, 52, is entering his 10th managerial season and his third in the Mets organization. Overall, he has a record of 534-488 (.523) with two league championships in his career. Last season, the Pineville, OR-native managed the Double-A Binghamton Mets to a 65-76 record.
In 2010, Backman led the Class-A Brooklyn Cyclones to a 51-24 record and a McNamara Division Title before losing in the New York-Penn League finals. Backman, 52, is entering his 10th managerial season and his third in the Mets organization. Overall, he has a record of 534-488 (.523) with two league championships in his career. Last season, the Pineville, OR-native managed the Double-A Binghamton Mets to a 65-76 record. In 2010, Backman led the Class-A Brooklyn Cyclones to a 51-24 record and a McNamara Division Title before losing in the New York-Penn League finals.
Backman’s managerial career began in 2001 with three seasons in the Chicago White Sox minor league system. In 2002, he led the Double-A Birmingham Barons to a 79-61 record and a Southern League Championship. In 2004, he guided the Single-A Lancaster Jethawks of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ system to a South Division title and was named The Sporting News Minor League Manager of the Year.
Backman played 14 major league seasons from 1980-1993, including nine with the New York Mets (1980-1988). In 1,102 career big league games with the Mets, Twins, Pirates, Phillies and Mariners, the infielder hit .275 with 167 extra-base hits, 240RBI and 117 stolen bases.
Backman hit a career-best .320 in 124 games for the 1986 Mets that captured a World Series Championship. He was originally drafted by New York in the first round of the 1977 draft (16th overall) out of Aloha High School in Hillsboro, OR. After he retired as a player, Backman was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 2002.
Mark Brewer – Pitching Coach
Brewer will enter his first season as the Bisonsn pitching coach in 2012. Brewer spent last season as the pitching coach with the rookie-level Gulf Coast League Mets. He worked in the Mets organization from 2005-2008, including a season as the pitching coach of the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs of the Pacific Coast League. He joined the Pirates organization for the 2009 season as their rehabilitation coordinator before returning to the Mets in 2010 as the pitching coach with Double-A Binghamton of the Eastern League under former Bisons’ manager Tim Teufel.
Brewer began his coaching career at the University of Texas in 1992 and held the same position with Oral Roberts University from 1998-1999. From there, he spent four seasons (2001-2004) as the minor league pitching coordinator with the Los Angeles Dodgers before spending the 2005 season as the pitching coach of the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate in Omaha.
George Greer – Hitting Coach
Greer begins his first season as Bisons hitting coach in 2012. Greer is beginning his seventh season in the Mets organization. He spent the 2011 campaign as the hitting coach of the St. Lucie Mets of the Florida State League. He has also served as the hitting coach with Single-A St. Lucie ( 2009 and 2010), Surprise Rafters of the Arizona Fall League (2009), Single-A Savannah (2008), Kingsport Mets (2007) before biginning his tenure with the Mets as the Manager of the Brooklyn Cyclones in 2006.
Greer compiled a 714-504-8 record (.582) in 23 seasons as an NCAA Division I head coach, spending 17 of those years with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons of the Atlantic Coast Conference. He is the winningest coach in school history and helped produce 29 All-Americans.
Joe Golia – Athletic Trainer
Golio is entering his 2nd year as the Bisons athletic trainer. Golia, has been with the Mets for the last seven seasons, six of which have come as the head athletic trainer for the Binghamton Mets. He also served as the head athletic trainer for the Surprise Rafters (2009) and the Peoria Saguaros (2008) of the Arizona Fall League. Prior to joining the Mets, Golia was an athletic trainer for the Double-A Trenton Thunder (Red Sox) during the 2002 season.
Golia, a native of Charlottesville, VA, graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College with a major in sports medicine before going on to get his M.E.D. in Exercise Science & Physical Education from the Citadel.
Ronald Kenyatta – Strength Coach
Kenyatta spent the past 10 seasons as the Mets assistant strength and conditioning coordinator for the minor leagues. This is the third season he will be with the Buffalo Bisons.
He is certified as a strength and conditioning specialist by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He is also a Level One United States weightlifting club coach with the US Weightlifting Association.
