The Rockies have finished reshaping the coaching staff that will serve under new manager Walt Weiss.

The club announced Thursday that Jim Wright is the new pitching coach, Rene Lachemann becomes the first-base coach and Stu Cole takes over as the third-base coach.

Jerry Weinstein will return as the catching coach and also will be the defensive-positioning coach. Former first-base coach Glenallen Hill likely will be reassigned to another job in the organization.

Wright’s promotion from bullpen coach to the man in charge of the starting rotation will be key to the team’s chances of success in 2013. He inherits a young starting rotation that went 29-68 with a 5.81 ERA in 2012.

“I think communication is one of Jimmy’s strength,” Weiss said Thursday afternoon. “I think that’s important because pitching, as we all know, is a challenge at our place. It will be important for us to communicate how to attack hitters.”

Wright, 57, previously was the club’s big-league pitching coach in 2002. That rotation went 55-59 with a 5.24 ERA.

Tuesday, Dante Bichette was hired as the hitting instructor. Weiss announced last Friday that he would bring back Tom Runnells as his bench coach. Runnells was one of the four finalists for the Rockies’ managerial job.

Weiss purposely surrounded himself with former managers. Lachemann, the hitting coach at Triple-A Colorado Springs for the past five seasons, was Weiss’ manager in 1994 when Weiss played for the Florida Marlins. Lachemann has extensive experience as a big-league boss, leading the Seattle Mariners (1981-83), Milwaukee Brewers (1984) and Marlins (1993-96).

Cole has spent the past 12 seasons as a manager in the Rockies organization, working his way up to manager at Colorado Springs from 2009-12.

Runnells managed the Montreal Expos from 1991-92 and managed in the Rockies’ organization for six seasons (2004-05 at Double-A Tulsa and 2006-09 at Colorado Springs).

“One of the biggest factors in these hires was to surround myself with managers,” Weiss said. “I’ve never managed before, so I don’t have that experience. But these guys do. I can lean on them. I can trust them. That was a big part of the reason why they are on my staff.”

Wright will be assisted by Bo McLaughlin, who was the head pitching coach for much of last season after replacing Bob Apodaca in June. McLaughlin will be in charge of the bullpen in 2013.

Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428, psaunders@denverpost.com or twitter.com/psaundersdp