NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- The Norfolk Tides' season opener is less than two months away and some familiar names return on the coaching staff for the 2026 campaign.
Tim Federowicz returns for his second season as the team's manager. He's been in professional coaching since 2022 and led the Tides to a 63-84 mark during his debut stint with Norfolk.
Federowicz will be joined by Norfolk native and Old Dominion graduate Jeff Ware. He will serve as the pitching coach, his first season in the Orioles' organization. Ware is a First Colonial graduate who was drafted by the Blue Jays in the first round of the 1991 Major League Baseball Draft. He's coached for 17 seasons at the professional level and was Toronto's bullpen coach for 2023 and 2024.
Rick Strickland will be the Tides' hitting coach in 2026, his first campaign in Norfolk. Strickland was previously a coach in the Cubs' organization and played four seasons of Minor League Baseball before his career came to an end on the field.
Felipe Rojas Alou Jr. is back as the team's fundamentals coach, joining development coach Billy Facteau and athletic trainer Alan Rail as returners from the 2025 coaching staff. Assistant athletic trainer Tori Atencio and strength and conditioning coach Scott Smith join the Tides for the first time in 2026.
Norfolk opens its season March 27 at Harbor Park against Nashville.
