MADISON, AL – The Rocket City Trash Pandas, in conjunction with the Los Angeles Angels, are excited to announce the on-field staff for the 2026 season, led by first-year manager Joe Kruzel.

Joining Kruzel in Madison this season are Daren Brown (Coach), Tim Leveque (Pitching Coach), Doug Henry (Assistant Pitching Coach), Jobel Jimenez (Hitting Coach), Dylan Culwell (Athletic Trainer), Chase Galloway (Assistant Athletic Trainer), Matt Gabriel (Strength and Conditioning Coach), Tristan Saglime (Game Planning Strategist), and Joe Wike (Video Assistant).

Bubba Hearn returns for his fifth season as Home Clubhouse Manager.

“With the additions of Tim and Daren to the organization this year, their track records really speak for themselves,” said Trash Pandas Manager Joe Kruzel. “Doug and Jobel bring valuable experience within the Angels organization and understand the system and expectations. It’s a strong group that’s focused on developing our players and preparing them to win games now, and help our club in Anaheim.”

Daren Brown – Coach

Brown enters his first season in the Angels organization after a recent stint with Piratas de Campeche of the Mexican League. A former minor league pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays system, Brown also played for and managed the Amarillo Dillas of the independent Texas-Louisiana League. From 1998-2000, he guided the Dillas to a 203-77 record, winning the Texas–Louisiana League Championship in 1999 and earning Manager of the Year honors.

Brown transitioned back to affiliated baseball with the Seattle Mariners organization from 2001-19. He joined Triple-A Tacoma in 2007 and recorded a franchise-best 433 wins, including back-to-back division titles in 2009 and 2010 and the Pacific Coast League Championship in 2010, Tacoma’s first since 1969. That same season, Brown served as Seattle’s interim manager for the final 50 games, posting a 19-31 record.

He returned to Tacoma for the next two-plus seasons before being promoted to Seattle’s interim third-base coach in 2013. After serving in various minor league roles from 2014-18, Brown returned to Tacoma in 2019, adding 61 wins to finish his Rainiers career with 494 victories.

Following work in summer collegiate baseball in 2021, Brown spent three seasons managing Triple-A Jacksonville in the Marlins organization before leading Piratas de Campeche last season.

He is the son of former MLB pitcher Paul Brown and the nephew of former MLB pitcher Jackie Brown. Originally from Oklahoma, Brown and his wife, Cindy, reside in Amarillo.

Tim Leveque – Pitching Coach

Leveque joins Rocket City as the team’s pitching coach, marking his first season in the Angels organization. He spent the previous 20 seasons in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, most recently as Senior Minor League Pitching Coordinator, overseeing pitcher development throughout the system.

Earlier in his career, Leveque served as a pitching coach at multiple lower-level affiliates and began his professional baseball career as a video intern with Milwaukee in 2005. Drafted by the Tigers in the 29th round in 1999, he instead signed with the University of Michigan, pitching as a right-handed reliever from 2000-03.

Leveque graduated from Michigan in 2003 and is originally from Northridge, CA.

Doug Henry – Assistant Pitching Coach

Henry returns to Rocket City for his second season and sixth overall in the Angels organization. He previously served as Pitching Coach at Tri-City from 2021-23 before joining the Trash Pandas in 2024 as Assistant Pitching Coach, working primarily with relievers.

Prior to joining the Angels, Henry spent 12 seasons in the Kansas City Royals organization, including serving as the MLB club’s Bullpen Coach from 2013-17, a stretch that included two American League pennants and the 2015 World Series championship. He also coached in the Braves’ minor league system from 2005-07 and began his coaching career in 2004 at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

As a player, Henry enjoyed an 11-year Major League career as a reliever with five teams, compiling a 34-42 record, 82 saves, and a 4.19 ERA in 582 appearances. He also posted a 1.59 ERA in eight postseason outings from 1997-2000.

Jobel Jimenez – Hitting Coach

Jimenez joins the Trash Pandas for his first season in 2026. A longtime roving instructor for the Angels, Jimenez played two seasons in the Dodgers organization before transitioning into coaching roles with the Dodgers, Mariners, and Red Sox.

He joined the Cardinals in 2007, working throughout their minor league system before serving as assistant hitting coach at the Major League level from 2019-21. Jimenez joined the Angels in 2022 and has spent the past four seasons as the organization’s Assistant Hitting Coordinator.

Dylan Culwell – Athletic Trainer

The reigning Southern League Athletic Trainer of the Year, Culwell, returns to Rocket City for his third season with the Trash Pandas and sixth in the Angels system. A native of Lake Havasu City, AZ., Culwell previously served at High-A Tri-City, where he was named the Northwest League Athletic Trainer of the Year in 2023. He also served as an athletic trainer for Team Italy during the World Baseball Classic.

Before joining the Angels, Culwell worked at UNLV. He holds a bachelor’s degree in athletic training from UNLV and Tabor College, along with a master’s degree in health and healthcare administration management from Grand Canyon University.

Chase Galloway – Assistant Athletic Trainer

Galloway begins his first season in Rocket City after serving as head athletic trainer at Tri-City in 2025. He also worked with the DSL Angels in 2024.

Matt Gabriel – Strength and Conditioning Coach

Gabriel joins the Trash Pandas after spending the previous two seasons with Tri-City (2025) and Inland Empire (2024). Prior to joining the Angels, he worked at Utah Tech, supporting multiple athletic programs, and held internships with Notre Dame, Iowa, UNC Charlotte, and Bowling Green. Gabriel also served as a graduate assistant at Southern Miss.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Bowling Green and a master’s degree in Sport Coaching Education and Performance from Southern Miss.

Tristan Saglime – Game Planning Strategist

Saglime enters his first season in the Angels organization. A graduate of Abilene Christian University, he served as the program’s student manager from 2020-24 and earned a degree in Management Information Systems in 2023.

Following graduation, Saglime worked with the Houston Astros as a Minor League Technology Apprentice and later served as a Data and Technology Coordinator in the Appalachian League. He is originally from Spring, TX.

Joe Wike – Video Assistant

Wike joins Rocket City after spending last summer as an assistant coach with the Syracuse Salt Cats of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. He previously worked as an Analytics and Organizational Assistant with Hazan Sports Management in Miami.

Wike played collegiately at Eckerd College and Barry College and was a two-time NYCBL All-Star with the Syracuse Spartans. He also gained summer collegiate experience with Myrtle Beach, Waleska, and Kenosha.

Bubba Hearn – Home Clubhouse Manager

Hearn returns for his fifth season with the Trash Pandas and his 23rd year in professional baseball. A staple in the Rocket City clubhouse, Hearn oversees clubhouse operations, including equipment, uniforms, meals, and bat boys.

In 2023, he was named the Southern League Home Clubhouse Manager of the Year. A New Mexico native, Hearn has also served in clubhouse roles with the Albuquerque Isotopes, Reno Aces, Mobile BayBears, and at the Angels’ spring training complex in Tempe, Ariz.