Kainoa T. Correa is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

. He is the

bench coach In baseball, a number of coaches assist in the smooth functioning of a team. They are assistants to the manager, who determines the starting lineup and batting order, decides how to substitute players during the game, and makes strategy decisio ...

and infield/baserunning instructor for the

San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco, California. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1883 as the New Yor ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB). He played college baseball for the

University of Puget Sound The University of Puget Sound (UPS or Puget Sound) is a private university in Tacoma, Washington. The university draws approximately 2,600 students from 44 states and 16 countries. It offers 1,200 courses each year in more than 50 traditional an ...

. Correa is of Native Hawaiian, Portuguese, and Japanese descent.

High school and college

Correa attended

Waiakea High School Waiākea High School is a public, co-educational secondary school in Hilo, Hawaii. The school's mascot is the Warrior. It is part of the Hawaii State Department of Education. The school graduated its first class in 1980, and has about 1300 studen ...

Hilo, Hawaii Hilo () is a census-designated place (CDP) and the largest settlement in Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States, which encompasses the Island of Hawaii. The population was 44,186 according to the 2020 census. It is the fourth-largest settlement i ...

. He attended the

, where he played

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

as an

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

for four years (2007–2010). He graduated with a degree in U.S. History.

Coaching career

Correa joined the Puget Sound coaching staff after graduating, and spent the 2010–2011 through 2013–2014 seasons there. During his time there, his roles included head assistant coach, recruiting coordinator, infield coach, third-base coach, academic advisor, and overseeing the team's strength and conditioning program. Correa then moved on to the

University of Northern Colorado The University of Northern Colorado (UNC) is a public university in Greeley, Colorado. The university was founded in 1889 as the State Normal School of Colorado and has a long history in teacher education. The institution has officially changed ...

, where he spent four seasons. His first was as a volunteer assistant, and final three as a full-time assistant coach. He served as the overall defensive coordinator, infield coach, third base coach, and as the recruiting coordinator. He drew a following for posting baseball videos on social media. Correa joined the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

organization in 2018, and served as the

AZL Indians The Arizona Complex League Guardians are a Rookie-level affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians, competing in the Arizona Complex League of Minor League Baseball. The team plays its home games at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona. The team is c ...

infield coach that season. He spent the 2019 season as the Indians short-season defensive coordinator. Prior to the 2020 season, Correa joined the

coaching staff as their bench coach and infield/baserunning instructor.

References

External links

From D-III to the major leagues: Kai Correa’s unusually quick journey to the Giants bench
''The Mercury News'', January 22, 2020
Puget Sound Loggers bioNorthern Colorado Bears bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Correa, Kai Living people People from Hilo, Hawaii Baseball coaches from Hawaii Baseball players from Hawaii Baseball infielders Major League Baseball bench coaches San Francisco Giants coaches Puget Sound Loggers baseball players Puget Sound Loggers baseball coaches Northern Colorado Bears baseball coaches Minor league baseball coaches University of Puget Sound alumni 1988 births