‘I SAW MYSELF HERE’
Ask Kenny Dillingham and the Memphis offensive coordinator will say he always envisioned himself in this role. Even when he arrived at Memphis two years ago as a graduate assistant when Mike Norvell took over as head coach, he knew this moment would come, although it was sooner than he expected. “I saw myself here,” Dillingham said. “When I went to Arizona State, I saw myself being Coach Norvell’s offensive coordinator at a young age. I was 21 years old when I was an offensive coordinator at Chaparral High School, so it’s not like this is a surreal moment.” At 28, Dillingham is one of the youngest NCAA FBS offensive coordinators in the country after being promoted after last season. Last season, he helped serve as a spotter in the coaches box with then-offensive coordinator Darrell Dickey while Norvell called plays. Dickey left after last season to take a job as offensive coordinator at Texas A&M.
people, and the positive influence he will have on our players are all things that make this a great staff addition. After observing Jason’s rise from minor league catcher to nine-year major league veteran and World Series Champion closer, he has the work ethic and diligence to make (an) immediate impact.”
The Port Huron, Mich., native attended Iona College and was drafted by the Cardinals in the 2003 MLB draft as a catcher. He transitioned to the mound in 2006. Motte settled in the Memphis area with his family and spent his recent offseasons training at FedEx Park on the university’s Park Avenue campus. He last played for the Atlanta Braves in 2017.
During his career, Motte had a 27-15 record and 60 saves with a 3.30 ERA.
He and his wife, Caitlin, also created the Motte Foundation in 2010 to raise money for cancer research.
Memphis baseball is coming off a disappointing 20-36 campaign in which it finished in last place in the American Athletic Conference. The Tigers haven’t finished better than .500 in league play since joining the AAC ahead of the 2014 season.
They’ve qualified for the NCAA tournament once (2007) in Schoenrock’s 14 seasons at the helm of the program.
Earlier this month, however, starting pitcher Jonathan Bowlan became the second-highest MLB draft pick in program history when the Kansas City Royals selected him in the second round.