The University of Mississippi Athletics
Baseball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Year at Ole Miss:
- 19th
- E-mail:
- wclaffer@olemiss.edu
- Phone:
- 662-915-6643
- Alma Mater:
- Ole Miss (2001)
Carl Lafferty has spent 17 seasons as a full-time assistant coach at Ole Miss, including 13 as the team's recruiting coordinator, making him the longest-tenured assistant coach in the Southeastern Conference.
Since the 2010 season, Lafferty has served as the Rebels’ recruiting coordinator, bringing in nationally ranked recruiting classes year after year. Thirteen of his recruiting classes have been ranked in the top 25, including seven in the top 10 and five in the top five nationwide. Lafferty’s 2016 class was ranked No. 1 in national recruiting rankings conducted by Baseball America and D1Baseball.com. The top ranking became the first No. 1-ranked recruiting class in the history of Ole Miss Athletics.
Lafferty’s first class was ranked No. 8 by Baseball America, a group that led the Rebels to Omaha in 2014 for the first time since 1972. In 2011, Lafferty helped haul in the first top-five recruiting class of the Bianco era; the class was ranked third nationally by Collegiate Baseball and fifth by Baseball America. Ole Miss followed with another top-five recruiting class in 2012, and the 2013 class ranked eighth to give the Rebels four straight top-10 classes.
Lafferty’s success in putting together some of the nation’s best classes has not gone unnoticed by his peers. In a 2016 survey conducted by D1Baseball.com, Division I baseball coaches named Lafferty as the fourth-best recruiting coordinator in the country.
More recently, his 17th-ranked recruiting class in 2017 helped produce a number of freshman who immediately contributed to one of the best years in program history in 2018. Freshmen Jordan Fowler and Tyler Keenan both made impacts and fulfilled major roles that went noticed around the country as both earned Freshman All-American status. Both Keenan and junior-college transfer Jacob Adams of the 2017 recruiting class stepped right up for starting roles in their inaugural seasons as Rebels and helped produce a record 48 wins. Fowler, who made nine starts in his first year, was the owner of Ole Miss’s lowest ERA and highest number of wins as a starter, coming in at 7-0 with a 3.20 ERA to help him catch an All-American nod.
The 2018 class, also ranked in the top 25 nationally, produced another pair of freshman All-Americans in Doug Nikhazy and Kevin Graham. Graham was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball after clubbing 10 home runs and slugging .507. Nikhazy was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team and a Freshman All-American by Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball following an oustanding season on the mound. Nikhazy struck out 86, an Ole Miss freshman record, going 9-3 with a 3.31 ERA and grabbed two SEC Freshman of the Week nods along the way. Nikhazy’s excellent freshman campaign earned him a spot on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team for the summer.
The story was no different in 2019, as Ole Miss welcomed the No. 2 class in the country to Oxford, highlighted by four prospects who were taken in the MLB Draft but chose instead to play for the Rebels. The 2019 group includes four of Perfect Game’s top 50 prospects—the only class in the country of its kind.
Even after bringing in one of the nation’s best classes in 2020, Lafferty brought in another heralded group for 2021. The class ranked No. 15 in D1Baseball’s newcomer breakdowns, in addition to a No. 18 ranking from Collegiate Baseball and a No. 21 ranking by Baseball America. Once again, Lafferty restocked the 2022 national champions’ roster with another nationally lauded class, coming in at No. 4 in Perfect Game’s rankings and No. 9 by Baseball America.
Pitchers to the Pros
In his time as a Rebel coach, Lafferty has developed 41 pitchers who have gone on to the professional ranks. Most recently, Jack Dougherty was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the ninth round after taking over the Friday night starter role during the 2023 season.
Three Rebel hurlers were selected in the 2022 MLB Draft as Derek Diamond and Dylan DeLucia were selected in the sixth round by the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians, respectively, while Brandon Johnson was chosen in the ninth round by the Kansas City Royals. Additionally, Drew McDaniel signed a free agent contract with the Chicago White Sox. That came hot on the heels of the 2021 draft in which all three Rebel draft picks were pitchers. Gunnar Hoglund was the 19th overall selection of the draft by the Toronto Blue Jays, while Doug Nikhazy had his name called in the second round by the Guardians. Taylor Broadway was the third Rebel pitcher to be drafted in 2021, going in the sixth round to the White Sox.
In 2018, his impressive weekend rotation all departed in the 2018 MLB Draft, as Ryan Rolison, Brady Feigl, and James McArthur all heard the names called after a trio of tremendous years on the mound. Rolison was the first name off the board after the southpaw was selected in the first round of the draft by the Colorado Rockies after a 10-4 season as the Rebel ace and Friday night starter. Feigl was next, heading in the fifth round to the Oakland Athletics, before McArthur continued the trend of Friday-Saturday-Sunday by being selected in the 12th round by the Philadelphia Phillies. Closer Parker Caracci was also selected in the 2018 Draft after a remarkable breakout season, but elected to return to Oxford for his junior season.
Caracci was drafted 16 rounds higher in 2019, again by the Blue Jays, one of four Rebel pitchers to be drafted. Ole Miss’ Friday night starter, Will Ethridge, led the way, going in the fifth round to the Rockies. Caracci went in the 21st round, and Zack Phillips (Round 27 - Royals) and Houston Roth (Round 29 - Baltimore Orioles) rounded out the group of four Rebel arms headed to the professional ranks.
Not only did Lafferty’s efforts translate to the MLB Draft, but the Rebels continued on an excellent 2017 pitching staff with an equally strong class in 2018. Rolison and Feigl spearheaded an intense 1-2 punch on Friday and Saturday, combining to go 18-9 on the year, but the year’s best story was the closer, Caracci, and his ability to stifle opposing batters at the end of games in his first year on the mound. The Rebel closer went 5-2 with 10 saves in 29 appearances last year, striking out an absurd 73 opposing batters in just 48.0 innings of work. Caracci was virtually unhittable as he ran up the gun in the mid to high-90s, and opponents managed just a .221 batting average against him.
Starting lefty David Parkinson was one of the more recent Ole Miss pitchers playing professionally after learning from Lafferty. After coming to Oxford as a junior college transfer, Parkinson worked with Lafferty to earn a spot in the weekend rotation midway through the 2016 season. One season later, he was the only Rebel to start in the rotation all 14 weekends of the season. The two strong seasons at Ole Miss allowed Parkinson’s stock to rise as he was taken in the 12th round of the 2017 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies, the first Rebel off the board.
Wyatt Short and Chad Smith were 2016 MLB Draft selections coached by Lafferty. Short, an All-SEC closer in 2015, was chosen by the Chicago Cubs and made 15 appearances without allowing an earned run to begin his professional career. Under the tutelage of Lafferty, Scott Weathersby worked his way up to a 10th round selection in the 2015 MLB Draft. Brady Bramlett (22nd round – Oakland) and Christian Trent (24th round – Milwaukee) were also drafted, with Bramlett deciding to return to the Rebels as the team’s ace for the 2016 season.
In 2014, Lafferty helped guide Ole Miss to the College World Series for the first time since 1972. Following the memorable run to Omaha, nine Rebels were drafted including five pitchers who learned from Lafferty: Chris Ellis (3rd round – Los Angeles Angels), Josh Laxer (9th round – Detroit), Hawtin Buchanan (20th round – Seattle), Aaron Greenwood (28th round – Houston) and Christian Trent (29th round – Los Angeles Dodgers).
The assistant coach continued to add to the list of professional pitchers following the 2013 campaign when four of the five drafted players were pitchers, including third-round pick Mike Mayers, fifth-round pick Bobby Wahl as well as seniors Tanner Bailey and Brett Huber. Mayers made his MLB debut three years later, earning the start for the Cardinals on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball.
The number of pitchers to go on to the professional ranks after playing under Lafferty grew following the 2012 season when Dylan Chavez (14th round – Boston) and R.J. Hively (19th round – Arizona) were both selected in the MLB Draft.
He added to his list of players to go on and play professional ball in 2011 with the selection of four pitchers and a catcher in the MLB Draft. David Goforth (7th round – Milwaukee), Austin Wright (8th round – Philadelphia), Miles Hamblin (12th round – Houston), Matt Crouse (24th round – Detroit) and Matt Tracy (24th round – New York Yankees) were all drafted and signed to play professionally.
Lafferty developed top pitching talent for the Rebels in 2010, guiding a pair of arms to All-America status. Junior southpaw Drew Pomeranz was named an All-America selection while right-hander Brett Huber was named a Freshman All-America selection. Both pitchers also garnered All-SEC honors. Pomeranz also went on to be named the SEC Pitcher of the Year, the first in the history of the award for Ole Miss. A finalist for the National Pitcher of the Year and the Golden Spikes Award, Pomeranz was taken by the Cleveland Indians with the fifth overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, becoming the highest drafted player in school history. He was one of four pitchers under Lafferty’s tutelage to be drafted in 2010.
The trend continued in 2009 as the Rebels saw 11 players drafted, eight of whom worked under the direction of Lafferty. Six pitchers and two catchers were drafted in the 2009 season, including pitchers Scott Bittle (4th round - St. Louis), Nathan Baker (5th round - Pittsburgh), Brett Bukvich (18th round - Florida), Phillip Irwin (21st round - Pittsburgh), Aaron Barrett (27th round - Texas), Chris Corrigan (30th round - St. Louis), and catchers Brett Basham (50th round - San Diego) and Kyle Henson (39th round - San Francisco). The former catcher was also responsible for helping the Rebels claim the 2009 Southeastern Conference Championship.
In his first season as a full-time assistant, Lafferty tutored several players who went on to be drafted in the 2008 MLB Draft, including three pitchers taken in the first 75 picks - Lance Lynn (39), Cody Satterwhite (67) and Scott Bittle (75). Bittle earned first team All-America honors. Lafferty also worked with catcher Brett Basham, who earned SEC All-Defensive team honors and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 16th round. Basham led the SEC in runners caught stealing and led all catchers in runners picked off. Lynn went on to help the St. Louis Cardinals claim the 2011 World Series in his rookie season in the Major Leagues.
Upon moving to a full-time position in 2008, Lafferty continued to work with the catchers, but also assumed duties assisting head coach Mike Bianco with the pitching staff before assuming duties as recruiting coordinator prior to the 2010 season.
In his first year back working on the field as a volunteer assistant in 2007, Lafferty worked with the outfielders and catchers, and assisted with the hitters. Lafferty also served as the first base coach. In his time working with the outfielders, Lafferty helped develop Jordan Henry, the 2007 SEC Freshman of the Year selection and a Freshman All-America selection. He also worked with his brother, Justin, a ninth-round draft pick of the Detroit Tigers in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft.
To the Pros and Back
Lafferty returned to Ole Miss in 2004 to complete his degree after having spent several years playing professional baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals organization. Lafferty earned his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with a minor in Sociology from the University of Mississippi in 2004.
He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 20th round of the 2001 MLB Draft. After a short stint with the Marlins, Lafferty signed a professional contract with the St. Louis Cardinals. The catcher played two seasons (2002-03) with the Peoria Chiefs, a single-A affiliate of the Cardinals, and also played with the high-A affiliate, the Palm Beach Cardinals.
A native of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, he played for the Rebels from 1998-2001, finishing his career in the first year of the Bianco era. A four-time letterwinner, Lafferty hit .307 for his career with 104 RBI. He also notched 42 extra-base hits, including 16 home runs.
As a senior, Lafferty was named to the All-SEC second team, becoming the school's 92nd All-SEC honoree in program history. Lafferty also served as team captain that season.
Lafferty is married to the former Lauren Nelson of Baldwyn, Mississippi. The couple has three children, William Carl Lafferty IV, and twins, Henry and Drew.
THE LAFFERTY FILE
Coaching Career
2010-present: Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Ole Miss
2008-09: Assistant Coach, Ole Miss
2007: Volunteer Assistant Coach, Ole Miss
2006: Director of Operations, Ole Miss
