Dan Hennigan’s move from the Astros to Wake Forest came with a revelation that says plenty about where Houston stands in one specific corner of the game.
After leaving his post as Houston’s director of hitting and offensive coordinator, Hennigan has landed at Wake Forest as an assistant coach. And in talking about the switch, he admitted the college program gave him something he did not fully have with the Astros: a hitting lab and technology setup that impressed him, especially when it came to motion analysis and biomechanics.
That was part of a broader discussion on Tyler Stafford and The Athletic’s Chandler Rome’s Crush City Territory Podcast, where Hennigan also pointed to Wake Forest’s access to professors and students who can help break down performance data. He said those resources stood out to him after his time in Houston. At the same time, he made clear the issue was bigger than one clubhouse, noting that major league organizations face similar limitations.
Hennigan’s path to Wake Forest followed a full season in his expanded Houston role. He had previously worked as the Astros’ hitting coordinator in 2025 before the organization restructured its hitting staff last offseason. That shuffle brought Victor Rodriguez in as hitting coach and Anthony Iapoce as assistant hitting coach, while Hennigan shifted into a wider job centered on offensive planning.
In that setup, Rodriguez and Iapoce worked directly with the hitters. Hennigan handled game preparation and helped players use data to get ready for opposing pitchers. He was not originally expected to be in uniform during games, but he ended up becoming a regular presence in the dugout, traveling with the club and serving as a sounding board for hitters in real time.
His departure from Houston carried an emotional punch, too. Hennigan said Espada brought the team together on his final day and gave him a chance to say goodbye. He said the moment brought him to tears as he spoke to the players and staff he had worked with.
Even with the move behind him, Hennigan reflected on the system he helped shape in Houston. He described the way player development, biomechanics and offensive strategy all fit together, and how taking one part away could alter the whole operation.
Now the Astros will redistribute some of that work. Espada said Chuckie Caufield, a special advisor and roving hitting coordinator who joined the organization in 2024, will take on part of Hennigan’s duties with the major league staff.
Hennigan’s jump to Wake Forest marks a new chapter in his coaching career, but his comments also made plain how demanding his Houston role was - and how hard it was to walk away from the Astros.
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