Austin Brough begins his first season as director of baseball operations at Illinois State in 2017-18.

Brough brings experience as both a player and coach to his current role. Brough was the head baseball coach at MacMurray College for two seasons, from 2015-17, and led the Highlanders to back-to-back 20-win seasons and the team’s first postseason appearance since 1999. He previously served as the team’s pitching coach for two seasons. Brough, who coached seven all-conference and two all-region selections during his tenure at MacMurray, was named the SLIAC Coach of the Year in 2016.

After starring for the Western Illinois baseball team, Brough later signed a minor-league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies and posted a 0.47 ERA for the Class A Short Season Williamsport Crosscutters in 2011. He later pitched for the Class A Lakewood BlueClaws and the Class A Advanced Clearwater Threshers. He finished his playing career for the Sioux Falls Canaries in the American Association in 2013.

Brough started his coaching career first as an assistant with the Clifton (Ill.) Central High School baseball team. Then, after joining the MacMurray staff, Brough spent two summers coaching the Okotoks Dawgs of the Canadian Western Major Baseball League, where he coached the league’s pitcher of the year and led his staff to the lowest ERA in the league.

Brough earned his bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois in 2010.