Cole Roberts enters a new phase in his baseball career this week as the bench coach of the West Michigan Whitecaps, the Detroit Tigers’ advanced Class-A affiliate.
Roberts’ father, Dave, has managed the last two World Series champions as the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bench boss. Cole, 25, is looking to follow in the footsteps of his father — but was deliberate about carving his own path.
MORE: Who has the highest Opening Day payroll in MLB? Not the Dodgers
Dave Roberts told The Big Lead that his son’s new job pursuit caught him by surprise.
The Dodgers’ manager said “I honestly didn’t know that” Cole Roberts wanted to follow in his footsteps.
“It happened organically, and I’m very proud of him that he’s finishing his playing career and wants to be a coach,” Dave Roberts said. “I’m excited and I think he’s going to be a great coach and a future major league manager, but honestly I didn’t know until he took that job.”
Roberts said his son didn’t ask for any interview tips, or his thoughts on the job for which he applied.
“But I will say that once he went through the interview he said that ‘I found myself sounding like you talking to the executives,’ which is interesting.”
The Dodgers swept the Arizona Diamondbacks in their first regular season series of 2026, extending Dave Roberts’ record for the highest winning percentage of any manager in National League history.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories on The Big Lead —
MARCH MADNESS: 2026 Sweet 16 TV schedule, game times & dates for NCAA Tournament
MLB: Who has the highest Opening Day payroll in MLB? Not the Dodgers
NFL: Raiders’ Ashton Jeanty weighs in on Fernando Mendoza-Ty Simpson debate
SPORTS MEDIA: 2026 MLB Opening Day TV schedule, full list of games
ENTERTAINMENT: 2026 Sports Emmy Awards nominees, full list announced
VIRAL: Best & most outrageous MLB ballpark foods for 2026 season