Check out a video interview with Kellen!
SANTA CLARA, Calif.- After his graduation from UC San Diego in 2011, Kellen Lee decided to follow his head coach, Dan O'Brien, up to Santa Clara and join his staff as the Baseball Operations Assistant. Now in his second year working for the Broncos, Lee has learned a lot and continues to use his own experiences from his baseball career to coach the Broncos.
"I have really enjoyed my experience here at Santa Clara," said Lee. "I have always felt very comfortable being a member of this coaching staff and athletic department. I have learned a lot about myself, how a baseball program operates, and how an entire athletic department operates."
Being so fresh out of college, Lee has a close connection to the players. He can provide great advice and criticism to the team about the game, and also about the how to balance life as a student-athlete. With a baseball resume like Lee's, including honors such as winning three consecutive CCAA Championships and being named the ABCA All-American Third-Team in 2010, Lee has plenty of knowledge and experience to pass along to the Bronco team.
"I embrace the fact that I am so close in age with the players," expressed Lee. "There have been many situations where the players come to me with questions and I am able to use my personal experiences from my playing career and apply them to help the current players. I try to provide the players with different perspectives about themselves, the game of baseball, and the coaching staff. I know it is important to understand different perspectives of any type of situation so that you have an all-encompassing view of that situation."
As his second year starts to come to a close, Lee is looking forward to the upcoming summer baseball season and continuing to help the younger Broncos through their careers here at Santa Clara.
"I hope to continue to help our current players stay positive and keep a healthy mentality towards the game and their performance," said Lee. "I hope to help the current players understand that their progress is a process and to trust that process that they are engaging in. I also plan on helping the younger players prepare themselves for summer baseball and next season."