Coaching Staff

Craig Maddox, Field Manager

Returning as the Manager of the Mustangs for the 2024 Season after previously being the Mustangs Bench coach in 2023, Maddox is excited for this opportunity to return to Billings. Maddox, 38, played college ball at Southeastern University and was signed by the Detroit Tigers out of college. After moving around in the minors to the Braves organization, he joined the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball where he retired after the 2019 Season after moving around to other independent leagues. In 2021, Maddox was in the coaching world and was named the Hitting Coach for the San Francisco Giants rookie league affiliate, the AZL Giants Orange, he stayed there through the 2022 season before joining the Mustangs as the Bench Coach in 2023. 

"It's an honor to manage the Billings Mustangs, and I am genuinely excited about the opportunity to manage the great group of players we have returning along with the new additions to the ball club," said Maddox, who is known both for his deep understanding of the game and his leadership skills. "Billings is a city with a rich baseball tradition, and I am eager to be a part of its baseball history. We are dedicated to delivering an exceptional 2024 season to our loyal fans and the entire community."

Dennis Rasmussen, Pitching Coach

64, was a first-round draft choice of the California Angels who went on to pitch twelve years in the major leagues. During that time, he compiled a 91-77 won-loss record with a 4.15 ERA. His best season came in 1986, when he led the New York Yankees staff with a record of 18-6 and was second in the American League in hits per nine innings with a rate of 7.12 (trailing only Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens). Rasmussen went on to pitch for the Reds, Padres, Cubs, and Royals before retiring after the 1995 season. He later served as a pitching coach in both the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox organizations, beginning his coaching career in Montana with the Pioneer League's Butte Copper Kings.

Joel Hartman, Hitting Coach

Hartman, a Bradenton, FL native, played 3 years collegiately at Southeastern University from 2002- 2005, winning a national championship, before finishing his college career at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He signed his first professional contract with the Golden Baseball League in 2007 and went on to play in multiple independent leagues, including the Continental League, Frontier League, and Pecos League. After retiring as a player, Hartman began mentoring elite high school and college baseball players through Prospect Dugout. Three years later, he initiated professional baseball tryouts with Prospect Dugout and has helped more than 100 players sign professional baseball contracts.

"I am excited to be the hitting coach in Billings and work with the next generation of professional baseball athletes as they pursue their dream of playing at the big league level," said Hartman. "I am thrilled to be coming to Billings, becoming part of that great community, and working with Craig and Dennis to help lead the Mustangs to a Pioneer League Championship."