Brewers coaching staff to undergo surprising shake up for 2026 season

Exactly two years ago tomorrow, the Chicago Cubs hired Craig Counsell away from the Milwaukee Brewers, leaving the Brew Crew with a managerial vacancy ahead of the 2024 season. While the team interviewed several former managers for the position, including New York Yankees legend Don Mattingly, they ultimately chose to promote then-bench coach Pat Murphy to the managerial post. With Murphy having an excellent chance to win back-to-back NL Manager of the Year Awards in his first two seasons with the Crew, it's safe to say that the decision has worked out perfectly for the Brewers.

However, the Brewers not only hired Murphy as their manager at the time, they also made what appeared to be a savvy move, setting themselves up for future success. The team hired fan favorite Rickie Weeks to be Murphy's assistant manager, which is not a common position, but one that was viewed in higher regard than a standard bench coach. Weeks, who was rumored to be a managerial candidate himself, instantly became Murphy's right-hand man and was a key reason for the Brewers' success over the last two seasons.

The move was savvy because it appeared as if the Brewers had already taken care of their next managerial hiring by having Weeks be the assistant manager. Much like the transition from Counsell to Murphy was a smooth one because the latter had already been in the dugout for eight seasons, the Brewers were setting themselves up for another smooth transition by having Weeks, Murphy's presumed successor, in the dugout.

However, just moments ago, the Brewers announced that Weeks has agreed to a new position with the organization, one that takes him out of the dugout and lands him in the front office.

Rickie Weeks transitioning to role in Brewers front office after two years as assistant manager

Rickie Weeks has agreed to become the Brewers' new Special Assistant of Baseball Operations and Domestic/International Scouting. Prior to his time spent as the team's assistant manager, Weeks worked in player development for the Brewers. Given his experience both as a player and a coach, Weeks will offer a unique and valuable perspective in the Brewers' front office.

In regard to who will take over for Weeks in the dugout, MLB.com's Brewers' beat reporter, Adam McCalvy, reported that the team will not hire a new bench coach or assistant manager, but rather that the rest of the coaching staff will pick up those duties.

Brewers' hitting coach Connor Dawson to join the Kansas City Royals coaching staff for the 2026 season

Weeks isn't the only coach who will be gone from the Brewers' dugout in 2026. Hitting coach Connor Dawson, who worked alongside Al LeBoeuf and Eric Theisen last season in a three-man team that was technically led by LeBoeuf, has reportedly accepted a position with the Kansas City Royals, as first reported by FanSided's own Robert Murray.

As Murray notes, Dawson joined the Brewers back in 2021 and worked alongside Ozzie Timmons for several seasons before LeBoeuf and Theisen joined the staff last winter. Dawson is a Kansas City native and will head back home to join the Royals coaching staff in a role that has yet to be disclosed. With two other hitting coaches already on the staff, it's possible that the Brewers don't elect to replace Dawson, but his absence will be felt nonetheless.

While their manager will be back for the 2026 season, something that many MLB teams can't say this offseason, and pitching coach Chris Hook, who has long been rumored to be a managerial candidate, presumably set to resume his duties on the Brewers staff, Milwaukee will still experience a shake-up of their coaching staff this offseason. The responsibility now falls on Murph to ensure that said shake-up doesn't have a major effect on the team's success in 2026.