Former Auburn All-American Gabe Gross re-joined the Tigers' coaching staff as an assistant coach prior to the 2018 season and recently completed his sixth season back on The Plains. He was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach in July 2023.
A three-year starter in the Auburn outfield from 1999-01, Gross was a first-team All-American in 2000 after he led the Southeastern Conference in hitting with a blistering .430 average. A two-time All-SEC performer, Gross was a freshman All-American in 1999 and a second-team Academic All-American in 2001.
Gross and the offense have played an instrumental role in leading the team to Omaha in two of the last four postseasons, the super regionals in three of the last five, and the regionals in four of the last five. In Gross' six seasons as the hitting coach, the Tigers have turned in a .282 combined batting average with 625 doubles and 381 home runs in 325 games. With 86 home runs in 2021 and 84 home runs in 2023, two of the program's top six home run totals have come under his guidance. Along with its 84 homers, the Tigers also led the SEC in doubles (106) at the conclusion of the 2023 regular season.
In addition to serving as the team's hitting coach, Gross assists fellow associate head coach Karl Nonemaker in recruiting and has helped haul four top-15 recruiting classes.
Offense again played a key role in Auburn's success in 2023 as the Tigers ultimately earned a regional host bid for the season straight season for the first time in program history. The Tigers .287 average was the team's highest since 2016 (.294) and the 84 home runs were the second most since leading the country in the category in 2010 (131). A quarter of Tigers in Ike Irish (.361), Bryson Ware (.350), Bobby Peirce (.343) and Cole Foster (.336) paced the offense and became the first quartet to hit .330 or higher since 2010. Irish went on to be named a Freshman All-American, and Ware broke the program's single-season home run record with 24 on the year.
Following the 2023 season, Foster and Ware were selected in the third and eighth rounds, respectively, marking the fifth straight season the Tigers had a pair of players selected in the top 10 rounds. In Gross' six season, 13 position players have been selected in the draft.
In 2022, Auburn's 637 hits and 126 doubles were the most in a season since 2010. The 637 hits were good for second most in the SEC and 23rd in the country while the 126 doubles were third in the league and 33rd in the nation.The team registered in the top 10 in program history in runs (455), home runs, extra-base hits (210) and total bases (1,005), and Gross went on to be named the 2022 Alabama Baseball Coaches Association Division I Assistant Coach of the Year.
During the season, Gross mentored Auburn's third SEC Player of the Year and sixth consensus All-American in Sonny DiChiara. His 22 home runs were tied for the second most in single season history at the time, and his .549 on-base percentage trails only Frank Thomas in the Auburn record books.
Following the memorable campaign, three position players were selected in the MLB Draft, including DiChiara (5th round), Blake Rambusch (15th round) and Brody Moore (17th round).
Gross led Auburn's 2021 offense to one of its most productive seasons in the last decade as the Tigers ranked top 15 in the country in home runs (86) and slugging percentage (.487). The Tigers home run total was third in the SEC and the fourth-highest in program history, including the most since leading the country with 131 home runs in 2010. The team's .487 slugging percentage was good for the eighth best in program history and was also the highest since 2010.
Four players - Tyler Miller (16), Ryan Bliss (15), Steven Williams (13) and Rankin Woley (10) - turned in double digit home runs for the second time in the last three full seasons under Gross, marking hte seventh time in program history to accomplish the feat. Bliss (2nd round), Miller (9th round) and Williams (18th) all went on to be selected in the 2021 MLB Draft, marking the team's first time with three position players drafted in the first 18 rounds since 2016.
Before Gross' third season with the program in 2020 was cut short due to COVID-19, the Tigers boasted one of the most prolific offenses in the country, leading the NCAA with a .330 average. The Tigers also ranked second in the country in hits (210), third in doubles (51), sixth in runs (158), ninth in on-base percentage (.421) and 10th in scoring (8.8).
In his first two seasons as the hitting coach, the Tigers turned in back-to-back years with the highest run totals since 2010, scoring 467 runs in 2018 and 387 runs in 2019. The Tigers also hit 235 doubles and 123 home runs in the first two full seasons under Gross. It marked the first time Auburn has hit 50 or more home runs in back-to-back seasons since 2009-10.
Gross helped lead the Tigers to the program's first College World Series appearance since 1997 as the offense played a major role in the historic postseason run. The Tigers hit .304 and scored 58 runs on 89 hits in eight NCAA Tournament games, highlighted by a walk-off, three-run home run from Steven Williams in the Atlanta Regional and 13-run first inning in the decisive game three of the Chapel Hill Super Regional.
In his first season on The Plains as a full-time assistant in 2018, Gross oversaw the Tigers’ offense and led the unit to its best season since shattering records in 2010. The team finished the season ranked in the top 10 in single-season history in home runs (73, 5th), walks (309, 5th), runs (467, 8th), RBI (423, 8th) and extra-base hits (201, 10th). Auburn also ranked in the top 20 in the NCAA in a number of offensive categories including runs (10th), home runs (16th), scoring (7.1 rpg, 17th), hits (626, 18th), walks (19th) and doubles (124, 19th).
The Tigers saw a major uptick in power numbers under Gross as the team increased its home run total by 43 from 2017 to 2018. The 73 home runs were the most since leading the country with 131 home runs in 2010 and were nearly twice as many as the team had hit in any season since then – the second most was 39 home runs in 2011.
Gross was also instrumental in Will Holland’s breakout sophomore season in 2018 and guided Edouard Julien and Steven Williams to historic freshmen seasons. Julien went on to break former Auburn great and National Baseball Hall of Famer Frank Thomas’ freshman RBI record and led the SEC with 69 runs driven in on the season.
Named Auburn's 2016 SEC Baseball Legend, Gross remains in the school's top 10 in 12 statistical categories, including batting average, hits, doubles, runs, home runs and RBI, among other career lists.
A first round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2001, Gross enjoyed a seven-year big league career and was a member of the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays team that made a World Series appearance. He totaled 78 doubles, eight triples, 40 home runs and 186 RBI while playing for four different teams.
Following his career in professional baseball, Gross enrolled back in Auburn in August 2011 and served as the Tigers' student assistant during the 2012 season, when he completed his undergraduate degree. The following year, Gross stayed on board as the volunteer assistant, when he continued to work with the Auburn outfielders and oversaw the offense.
In his previous stint with the Auburn coaching staff, Gross was a major contributor to an Auburn offense that hit .290, collectively, during the 2012-13 seasons. Auburn finished the 2012 season leading the SEC in batting average (.304), on-base percentage (.386), triples (19) and stolen bases (113). The Tigers ranked top 20 nationally in stolen bases and batting average, which was the program's highest mark in the last seven seasons.
Gross moved on from coaching and started broadcasting with ESPN and CSS during the 2014 season. He then joined the SEC Network as a baseball analyst when it launched and has served in the capacity since the 2015 season.
Gross is married to the former Kelly Gesch, also an Auburn graduate. The couple has two children, Allie and Jake.