It Was Never a Straight Line, Brendan Coffey on ‘And That’s The Game’ with Wayne Mazzoni
Who starts college behind the plate and ends up running ops for a bull riding team? On And That’s The Game, Brendan Coffey doesn’t retrace steps; he redraws the map.
One position switch, one torn elbow, one shot at something bigger. No big promises. No clean arc. Just a career that refused to follow the rules.
Change made it work
Brendan Coffey didn’t take the expected route through college baseball. He arrived at Sacred Heart as a catcher, under the radar, unranked, and far from the mound. But after a string of smart moves and timely resets, he redefined his role, broke through as a dominant reliever, and eventually earned his shot at the Power Five level.
That journey didn’t end on the field. It carried into a fast moving career in sports strategy.
Off the Plate, On the Mound
For nearly two seasons, Coffey stayed behind the plate. Strong defensively, but limited at the plate, he saw the writing on the wall. With a solid frame and a strong arm, the idea of pitching became more than just a backup plan.
The transition started slowly, low innings, average velocity, just enough to stay in the conversation. Then came a summer in the Perfect Game League, where the repetitions and the talent level pushed him forward.
Then came Tommy John.
Time, Recovery, and Reinvention
Injured, sidelined, and mid-recovery, Coffey’s timing lined up with the COVID shutdown. Instead of losing a year, he gained one time to rebuild, rethink, and learn. Without the pressure of performance, he worked on pitch design, cleaned up his mechanics, and built a more efficient delivery.
He added a splitter, tightened his slider, and returned stronger.
By 2021, he wasn’t just back, he was sharp, confident, and reliable. Sacred Heart made him their closer. His fastball sat 89 – 91 mph, his secondary pitches kept hitters guessing, and his results spoke for themselves.
How He Leveled Up
Coffey didn’t evolve just by throwing harder. He changed how he worked. The shift came through structure and self-awareness:
- Defined approach: Focused on what worked for him, not mimicking others
- Cleaner mechanics: Rehab gave him a chance to rebuild movement from the ground up
- Pitch perspective: He understood what hitters saw and used it
- Role simplicity: As a closer, the task was clear: enter, execute, finish
The payoff was clear. He became one of Sacred Heart’s most trusted arms and a target for larger programs.
Transfer to the ACC
With a year of eligibility left, Coffey entered the portal. He didn’t wait long. Boston College called. They didn’t overpromise. They gave him the ball.
The ACC was a step up. Every hitter could punish mistakes. Coffey wasn’t the hardest thrower on the staff, but he was steady. He handled pressure. He threw strikes, and he carved out a key role in a deep, competitive bullpen.
New Field, New Focus
After BC, pro offers didn’t land. Coffey didn’t stall. He pivoted. He worked in finance, then accepted a position in Austin, Texas, helping lead operations for a professional bull riding team.
It’s not baseball. But the intensity, the stakes, and the speed all feel familiar.
A Career Built on Adaptation
Coffey’s value was never about being flashy. It was about adapting quickly, learning on the move, and staying ready. He changed positions, recovered from injury, handled setbacks, and kept moving forward.This episode of And That’s The Game isn’t a highlight reel. It’s a clear look at what happens when a player takes ownership of the process and keeps finding ways to compete.
