Southern Miss baseball’s coaching staff has a new addition in former Louisiana pitching coach Gunner Leger.
The hire was announced Thursday to fill a vacancy recently created by former pitching coach Keller Bradford, who was tabbed for the same position at Liberty. Bradford, a former Golden Eagle, had served as the program’s pitching coach since Christian Ostrander took over as head coach in 2024.
Leger makes his way to Hattiesburg by way of conference rival Louisiana, where he spent 2023 and 2024 as the pitching coach and director of analytics.
SCOOP: @SouthernMissBSB will hire Gunner Leger as its new co-pitching coach, alongside head coach Christian Ostrander, I’m told. Leger previously was the pitching coach for his alma mater and #SunBelt rival Louisiana. He replaces Keller Bradford. #SMTTT
UPDATED CAROUSEL:… pic.twitter.com/p6pDBkiWXQ
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) July 3, 2025
Under Leger, the Cajuns boasted the top pitching staff in the Sun Belt for the 2024 season – a campaign that culminated in a conference title. Louisiana finished with a 4.48 team ERA that year, also holding opponents to a batting average of just .232.
In his playing days, the lefty was one of the best that’s ever taken the mound in Lafayette. Leger, a two-time All-American, ranks among Louisiana’s career leaders in starts (53), total innings pitched (328.2), wins (24), and strikeouts (288). He was also a 2017 Golden Spikes Award finalist.
The pitching coach position at Southern Miss is a little different than it might be elsewhere with Ostrander calling in-game pitching and taking the lead on pitcher development, but it isn’t any less important. As he did in Lafayette, Leger will be the primary manager of the Golden Eagles’ analytics department, along with assisting in development and recruiting.
Southern Miss will look to extend their nation’s best consecutive 40+ win season streak in 2026 with Leger now in the fold.
