TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – University of Alabama head coach Brad Bohannon officially announced the hiring of Matt Reida on Tuesday. Reida, who spent last season at Xavier, joins the Crimson Tide staff as a volunteer assistant coach.

"I've known Matt since he was 16, and I'm very confident that the grit and competitiveness that he's shown on the field as a player will translate over into his coaching career," said Bohannon. "His work ethic and knowledge for the game will be a great addition to our staff."

Reida comes to Tuscaloosa after spending last year at Xavier, serving as an assistant coach for the Musketeers while also holding the title of recruiting coordinator. He worked primarily with the Xavier hitters while also focusing on his recruiting duties. Under his tutelage, the Musketeers set the school record for home runs with 68, a total that led the Big East and was 21 homers better than second-place St. John's.

Prior to his time in Cincinnati, Reida completed two seasons at Indiana University from 2016-17. At IU, Reida focused on the Hoosiers' infielders, hitters and baserunners. During his first season in Bloomington, the Indiana defenders posted a school-record .975 fielding percentage. The defense was highlighted by Tony Butler, who earned ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove recognition after an errorless season at second base.

Reida joined Indiana following time as the director of player development and recruiting for CageRat Baseball in Colorado Springs, Colo. The organization worked with prep baseball players in the Midwest region, assisting them in the process of obtaining a college scholarship and eventually playing professionally. Reida's responsibilities included athlete and camp recruitment, managing player development, organizing team travel and hiring coaches and camp staff.

A former collegiate player at Kentucky, Reida was a member of the Wildcat baseball team from 2011-14, where he was coached by Bohannon. The former infielder made 199 career starts at shortstop for UK, tying him for fifth all-time in program history. He ended his career in Lexington with 214 games of action, placing him fourth all-time at UK. A standout in the classroom, Reida was selected to the SEC Academic Honor Roll on three different occasions from 2012-14.

Following his time at UK, Reida spent time professionally with the Tampa Bay Rays organization in 2014.

Reida graduated from Kentucky with a degree in communications in 2014, graduating Magna Cum Lauda with a 3.69 grade point average. He is a native of Kokomo, Ind.

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