Former University of Tulane baseball player and former major league pitcher Jack Cressend will be wearing a Green Wave baseball jersey once again after he was named an assistant coach by head coach Rick Jones last week.

Cressend pitched for the Green Wave from 1994-1996 and helped the Greenies to two NCAA Tournament appearances and one Conference USA title in 1996. He signed an amateur free agent contract with the Boston Red Sox in 1996 following his junior year and spent five years (2000-04) in the majors with the Minnesota Twins and the Cleveland Indians. He finished his career with a 5-5 record, posting 104 strikeouts in 160 innings.

Jones said it’s an exciting time for him because the first game he coached at Tulane, Cressend hit in the leadoff spot and played centerfield as a freshman.

Jack Cressend

“Jack was part of my first team, and that was a special year for me, and he played a major role. Jack saw us building the program, and we won 48 games, including the Conference USA championship in our first year, and returned to the NCAA Tournament. It’s great to add another former Tulane player who understands where we came from and can relate that to the players. He has the expertise of being a two-way player in college, and his knowledge of playing in the professional ranks for five years will be a tremendous asset to us,” Jones said.

Cressend, 33, will serve as the Greenies pitching coach. He will also assist with recruiting, scheduling and summer baseball player placement.

“This is a special opportunity for me to come back to Tulane. It’s great to see how far the program has come since I was a player, and I’m excited to be part of it once again. I am very thankful to coach Jones for giving me this opportunity,” Cressend said.

“For where I am at this stage of my life, with my family and the passing of my dad a few months ago, to be able to stay at home and be close to my family is extremely important. I know my dad is definitely smiling from up above. We often talked about what the future might hold for me along with the possibility of maybe one day coaching at Tulane. For it to finally happen, I sure wish he could have been here to see it and share it with me. He’ll be with me every step of the way.”

Cressend, a 1993 Mandeville graduate, has excelled on the local baseball scene since retiring from major league baseball in 2004.

Cressend founded and coached the Louisiana Knights, an elite 18 and under premier travel baseball team, designed to give its players an opportunity to showcase their skills on a local and national level. The Knights strive to help each and every player to raise their level of play and help them reach the college and professional ranks. The Knights regularly play in front of college and professional scouts, which gives the players a greater chance of playing at the next level. The Knights program also helped players who already signed a scholarship because it is designed to run like a college program, which helps prepare the player for college baseball. The Knights compete in local, regional and national tournaments throughout the summer and fall, exposing players to the best competition possible.

“I can tell you the Knights’ program was a huge part of my life for the last two years. It was something that I worked so hard to try and develop. It was extremely tough walking away from that program. I established so many great relationships with all the players, the coaches and the parents along with all the people that helped make that thing go. It was worth every second of it,” Cressend said.

He also served as the Northlake Christian School pitching coach for the past two seasons, helping the Wolverines’ staff hone its skills.

“I told coach Rowland Skinner that I was extremely grateful for that opportunity. I think my time at NCS was part of the plan as well to be there. The wonderful people I met were tremendous, and I’m sure I’ll be friends with them for the rest of my life. I was very appreciative of the opportunity that coach Skinner and principal Monty Fontenot provided me with along with Dr. Greg Mula, who was instrumental in me getting the position. It was also tough walking away from such a successful program like that. It was with mixed emotions that I had to walk away, but from a career standpoint it’s a great move for me to coach at Tulane University,” he said.

Skinner, who also coached the Knights with Cressend, said his talents would be sorely missed.

“You don’t replace a talent like Jack. He did a tremendous job for us the last two years. Not only working with the physical aspect of pitching, but the mental part of the game as well. All of our players respect him. Jack has been where every player wants to be, in the major leagues. We wish Jack nothing but the very best,” Skinner said.

Cressend said he would also have to step away from his general manager position at the Sandlot Baseball and Softball Academy in Madisonville and as an area scout for the major league Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Cressend earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Freeman School of Business at Tulane in May. A native of New Orleans, Cressend and his wife, Katy, have two sons, Cole, 5, and Cameron, 2.