Marlins anoint GM Dan Jennings as new manager

Bob Nightengale | USA TODAY Sports

In a bizarre hiring that followed a surprising firing, the Miami Marlins are scheduled to introduce Dan Jennings, their current general manager, to be their new manager, a high-ranking Marlins official confirmed to USA TODAY Sports.

Jennings' hiring was first reported by CBS Sports.

Jennings, who has been in professional baseball since 1986 as a scout and front office official, last managed or coached at Davidson High School in Mobile, Ala., after he graduated from college in the mid-1980s.

While there have been several recent hirings of managers who have no experience, such as Craig Counsell of the Milwaukee Brewers, Mike Matheny of the St. Louis Cardinals, Brad Ausmus of the Detroit Tigers and Walt Weiss of the Colorado Rockies, they all had extensive playing careers.

Jennings has never played in a professional game; he attended spring training with a New York Yankees Class A affiliate after they signed him out of a tryout camp in 1984.

Jennings, who replaces Mike Redmond, becomes perhaps the most unique managerial hire since 1980, when Jerry Coleman left the San Diego Padres broadcast booth to manage. Yet, Coleman was a former second baseman who played for six World Series teams with the New York Yankees and was a pilot in the Korean War.

Assistant general manager Mike Berger will be promoted to assume Jennings' duties. And advance scout Mike Goff will join Jennings in the dugout as his bench coach.

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