The Houston Astros have had quite the turnover in their coaching staff over the offseason so far, and it started right after the 2025 season was over, much earlier than expected, with no postseason appearance.
Astros’ New Pitching Coach Hire Has Big Shoes to Fill
The Astros are looking to get back to the promised land, and the changes are not just on the field. Houston made several staff changes after the season, letting go of both hitting coaches and multiple medical and front-office members.
It was also announced in October that the Astros’ longtime pitching coach, Bill Murphy, would not return, leaving a big void for the club to fill. Murphy left for the Pirates and took on the same role as pitching coach. While Josh Miller has been the top pitching coach for the Astros for the past three seasons, Houston still needed to find a new coach to help lead the way on the mound.
New Astros Pitching Coach
It was reported on Nov. 26 by Chandler Rome of The Athletic that former Chicago White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz is joining the Astros as the new assistant pitching coach. Katz first gained experience in the minor leagues with teams such as the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and Los Angeles Angels before the Giants promoted him to the major league coaching staff as an assistant pitching coach in 2020.
“They’re just ahead of the curve… they’re winning. That’s important to me. I want to win.”
New Astros assistant pitching coach Ethan Katz shares why Houston was the place he wanted to be. pic.twitter.com/iwVLLqsuCZ
— Crush City Territory (@Crush_City_Pod) December 4, 2025
Katz was hired by the White Sox in 2021 and spent the last five seasons in Chicago as the lead pitching coach, working with all the pitchers on the staff. During his first season with the team, the White Sox made the postseason and ranked third in the American League in strikeouts with nine per game. Starters Dylan Cease and Lucas Giolito were excellent under Katz during his first few seasons.
More on Katz
Besides that, he helped develop Garrett Crochet into what is now a Cy Young candidate. Crochet started his career with the White Sox and spent four seasons with Katz before ultimately showing his ace talent this year with the Boston Red Sox.
Cease had two elite seasons under Katz, including his best overall season in 2022, when he went 14-8 with a 2.20 ERA in 32 starts and 227 strikeouts. Katz also coached Max Fried and Jack Flaherty before their pro days at Harvard-Westlake High School.
The White Sox have had such terrible records over the past few seasons that constant turnover and change have become the norm for that club. In September, the White Sox parted ways with Katz and their hitting coach. It obscured the impact he had when Chicago had significant talent to work with.
The Replacement for Murphy
The experience that Katz, 42, brings to the table makes him an ideal replacement for Murphy. Katz has worked with big-name pitchers in the past, and it will not be any different in Houston, with hurlers like ace Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier. Even Justin Verlander could potentially return, and that would be no different than another coach joining Katz. A fresh start with a new team looking to compete aggressively could be the right fit for both parties.
It won’t be easy to fill Murphy’s shoes, as the Astros have been one of the best pitching staffs in baseball during his time in Houston. The 36-year-old Murphy spent the last decade with the Astros, rising through the ranks to assistant pitching coach in 2021 before becoming one of their two major league pitching coaches after that season. The Astros lead baseball in a team ERA of 3.61 since the start of 2022.
Astros Coaching Staff Finalized
The 2026 coaching staff for the Astros is now official, and the team can now focus on adding crucial players for the rest of the winter, specifically on the coaching staff that can make Katz’s job easier.
Tim Cossins joins the Astros coaching staff as their catching instructor. He brings extensive experience after working with catchers for the last 19 seasons. He spent the last seven seasons with the Baltimore Orioles as a field coordinator, in addition to catching. Before joining the Orioles, Cossins was with the Cubs from 2013 to 18 as a catching coordinator. As a former catcher, Cossins played in 255 minor league games.
Main Photo Credits: David Richard-Imagn Images