Christian Brothers don’t skip a beat
As Jason Motte sat in the dugout at Giacosa Field at Christian Brothers High School, he took a much more relaxed look. He rocked a cutoff hoodie with baseball pants and black and purple shoes with pink laces.
His most distinct feature? His beard. It stretches just below his neck and slightly grayer than the years he was active in Major League Baseball. It’s Motte’s signature look.
It’s clear Motte, who’s in his first season as the baseball coach at Christian Brothers, isn’t trying to be anything other than himself.
“I’m me and I bring that to this program,” Motte said.
Motte isn’t looking to fill anybody’s shoes in his first head coaching job; he’s looking to be himself and do his best to continue Christian Brothers’ winning tradition on the baseball diamond.
He was named the new baseball coach in February after holding the interim tag last season. He replaced legendary coach Buster Kelso, who coached the Purple Wave for 36 years, amassed over 1,100 wins – the most by any high school baseball coach in Tennessee — and led them to nine of their 13 state championships during his tenure.
As an outsider, that looks like a massive void for Motte to fill. But for Motte, 19 games in, he has the Purple Wave at 15-4 and looking like they haven’t skipped a beat under new direction. It helped Motte was a pitching coach with the program before he served as interim coach and now coach.
“I’m not trying to come in and fill in anybody’s shoes,” Motte said. “I tell these boys the same thing. You go out there and be the best you, you can be.”
Athletic director Mike Kelly isn’t worried about Motte succeeding either. Kelly said Motte’s one year as interim showed that he was a good fit to fully lead the program.
“It’s a nice blend of kids enjoying and playing baseball,” Kelly said, “but also knowing that it’s time to be serious and work hard. I think he’s done a great job of doing both of those.”
It helps Motte has experience at baseball’s highest level.
Motte played more than nine season in Major League Baseball, playing with the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves and the St. Louis Cardinals — he helped the Cardinals clinch the 2011 World Series as a closer. For the first time in 38 years, the Christian Brothers baseball program has a new face leading the team. Familiarity has been a cornerstone in helping the baseball program maintain success. And Motte is looking to keep that winning tradition at Giacosa Field.
“We have our state championships painted on the wall (here at Giacosa Field),” Motte said. “And I think for these boys and for us, our goal is to paint 2022 on that wall.”
Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on Twitter @wynstonw__.