Bio

Grif Hughes is the pitching coach for the Panthers. Originally from Texas, Hughes graduated from Karns High School and then attended and played baseball at Carson-Newman University from 2020-2024. Hughes graduated with honors with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies. Hughes had a standout senior year out of the bullpen leading the conference in strikeouts per nine innings and appearances and led his team in strikeouts and wins. He finished the year with a 3.8 ERA with 71 strikeouts in 58.1 innings. After college, Hughes signed with the Evansville Otters, a team in the independent Frontier League. Hughes played a full professional season and finished with a 3.07 ERA in 44 innings with 61 strikeouts. Grif resides in Knoxville and is engaged to his fiancé Madelyn.