Mike Mussina has turned his attention toward coaching, but it’s not where you might think.
The former Yankees pitcher isn’t in a professional or college dugout. In fact, he’s not even coaching baseball.
Mussina has returned to his alma mater, Montoursville High School in Pennsylvania, to guide the varsity boys basketball team, according to the Sun Gazette. Mussina’s hiring was passed through the Montoursville school board by a unanimous 8-0 vote Tuesday night.
The right-hander, who retired in 2008 after 18 big-league seasons, will be paid a stipend of $4,170. Mussina, 45, was a three-sport star at Montoursville and finished his high school basketball career in 1987 with 1,382 strikeouts. He has coached Little League baseball and junior varsity basketball since he retired.
With 270 wins, a career 3.68 ERA and 2,813 strikeouts, Mussina has a chance to make the Hall of Fame when he’s up for election next year. For now, though, he’ll be trying to bring his old team out of a slump – Montoursville’s hoops squad hasn’t made the district playoffs in a non-open format since 2008.