The Reds will have a bit of a new look to their coaching staff come Opening Day 2026. Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images
CINCINNATI — Following the retirement of bench coach Brad Mills, the Reds announced a number of coaching staff changes, including the elevation of former big league All-Star Mike Napoli to assistant bench coach.
Elsewhere, Willie Harris was hired to be Cincinnati’s bench coach and Bill Haselman was named catching coach. The duo replace J.R. House, who held both positions with the Reds but left for the Diamondbacks.
Mills, 68, was Francona’s teammate in college at the University of Arizona and was on Francona’s staff at each of his managerial stops, beginning as Francona’s first base coach in Philadelphia from 1997 to 2000 and then again as bench coach in Boston from 2004 to 2009.
Mills managed the Astros from 2010-2012 and was fired in 2012 by first-year general manager Jeff Luhnow. Mills joined Francona’s staff in Cleveland as the third base coach for the 2013 season and served as bench coach from from 2014 to 2019. Mills opted out of the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and left the position following that season.
When Francona was hired as the Reds’ manager last October, Mills joined his staff, splitting bench coach duties with Freddie Benavides.
Harris, 47, spent last season as the manager of the Daytona Tortugas, the Reds’ Class A affiliate. He was the third base coach for the Chicago Cubs for four seasons, from 2021 to 2024. Harris played for seven teams, including the Reds over his 12-year career.
Haselman, 59, was part of Francona’s staff in Boston in various roles from 2004 to 2006. He was with the Los Angeles Angels the last four seasons, on the major-league coaching staff as catching coach in 2022 and as third base coach in 2023. He spent the last two seasons as the Angels’ catching coordinator.
Nov 4, 2025
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