Back in November, we shared news of a gender breakthrough in Major League Baseball (MLB) as the male-dominated sport welcomed its first female general manager—Kim Ng of the Miami Marlins. Today, we’re excited to share that the Boston Red Sox just made history by hiring Bianca Smith, the first Black woman to coach in the league.
Smith, who has previously worked in youth academy roles for the Cincinnati Reds and the Texas Rangers organizations, will now embark on a new journey, serving as a minor league coach at the club’s player development facility in Fort Myers, Florida.
“I think it’s a great opportunity also to just kind of inspire other women who are interested in this game,” said Smith. “This is not something I thought about when I was younger and I kind of fell into it being an athlete, so I’m excited to get that chance to show what I can do.”
Smith studied at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and graduated with a master’s degree in business administration in sports management, with an emphasis in organizational behavior. In addition, she also has a doctorate of jurisprudence with an emphasis in sports law from the University’s School of Law.
“She was a great candidate coming in,” said Ben Crockett, Red Sox vice president of player development. “She’s had some really interesting experiences and has been passionate about growing her skillset and development herself.”
Smith will soon see her first action as an MLB coach when Spring training gets underway for players on February 27th.
