AUBURN, Ala. – From day one, Nick Ammirati’s calling seemed certain.
“The day I was born, my dad said he bought me a catcher’s mitt,” said Ammirati, Auburn’s new assistant coach and hitting coordinator. “Been on that journey ever since.”
Ammirati’s journey brings him to Auburn, where he reunites with head coach Butch Thompson. In 2013, Thompson coached Mississippi State’s pitchers while Ammirati was the Bulldogs’ catcher on a College World Series runner-up team.
“The prior relationship with Butch, he’s one of the best men, along with one of the best coaches in the country,” Ammirati said. “The fanbase, the facilities, the resources we have, the team coming back. All those things played a factor and made it pretty easy.”
Ammirati comes to the Plains after five seasons coaching in the SEC – three at Kentucky and the past two at Georgia.
“It’s the best league in the country,” he said. “Best coaches, best players, best fans. Everything about it is the best, the resources. You’ve got to be at the top of your game to stay at the top and it takes everybody.”
In the past three seasons, Ammirati’s teams made two trips to Omaha, won two SEC regular season championships and a conference tournament title.
“Anytime you’re in difference places, different ballparks, it’s really about finding out what’s best for the team and scoring as many runs as possible,” he said. “There are a lot of different ways to score runs. We’re going to find every single way we possibly can to do so.
“Sometimes the game calls for a safety bunt or a stolen base, sometimes the game calls to bang. Knowing your players, the conditions and who you’re facing and all the different situations plays a factor. We want to be aggressive, take everything the defense gives us and look for every opportunity.”
Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, Ammirati played his freshman season at Seton Hall, transferred to a junior college in Texas as a sophomore and played his final two seasons at Mississippi State.
“Growing up there (New Jersey), you had to do a lot of stuff inside,” he said. “Got an opportunity to come to the South and have been in the South ever since. Loved it, loved the weather, loved the people.
“I knew I wanted to get into coaching and dove right in the second I was done playing pro ball. I want to make an impact on young men’s lives.”
Ammirati got a close look at Plainsman Park in May when Georgia played the Tigers in the SEC finale.
“The fanbase was unbelievable,” he said. “It was a big-time SEC atmosphere. To see what the administration has done with this ballpark, it’s all about the fans, it’s all about the alumni. It’s pretty cool to see the attention to detail. The team coming back was a huge factor. We have a great group of guys. I’m excited about it.
“Auburn’s an amazing place. I’ve loved coming here as a player, as a coach. The assistant coaches here are some of the best in the business if not the best.”
Born with a catcher’s mitt in his crib, Nick Ammirati has come close to winning national championships as a player and a coach. In his new role, the coach nicknamed “Ammo” hopes to provide Auburn with the ammunition to prevail in Omaha.
“I want to win,” he said. “That’s exciting for me. That’s what’s going to drive me every single day. I want us to be the toughest, most relentless team that anybody faces. I want the other team to be like, ‘I don’t want to face them again.’”