D-backs Make Surprise Change to Coaching Staff

The Arizona Diamondbacks will be making a change to their coaching staff, after all.

According to an initial report Wednesday from The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro, Arizona is hiring J.R. House to serve as their new third-base coach. House spent the 2025 season coaching third base for the Cincinnati Reds.

Per Piecoro, House will join the D-backs' coaching staff as both third-base coach and catching coach — a position previously held by bench coach Jeff Banister.

Arizona Diamondbacks Hire J.R. House as Third-Base Coach

House spent five seasons as a major leaguer, playing for the Pirates, Astros and Orioles. He spent the first seven years of his coaching career with the D-backs' organization, managing the Low-A Visalia Rawhide and High-A Hillsboro Hops.

House earned the California League Manager of the Year Award in the 2015 season, then spent the 2018 season as Arizona's field coordinator. House and his family reside in Arizona.

The Diamondbacks had a bit of a controversy at the third-base coach position in the 2025 season. Shaun Larkin, who had previously served as farm director, was hired without major league experience coaching third base.

D-backs fans often expressed frustration with Larkin's decisions to hold or send players. Eventually, Larkin's decisions led to his removal from third-base coaching duties.

Larkin was replaced by veteran coach Tim Bogar, though he was not fired from the team. Larkin remains the infield coach for the time being, and Bogar will retain his previous minor-league-focused role in Arizona's front office.

Bogar told Piecoro that his decision-making at third base can be categorized as aggressive.

“I try to be as prepared as possible," House told Piecoro. “Knowing the league, knowing the ballparks, the situations in the game, the style of play that the manager wishes to convey, how risky we want to be or how conservative.

“But I’ve always liked to push the envelope. I like to get the most out of every play offensively."

Arizona's coaching staff will not see any departures or firings. Manager Torey Lovullo suggested as much following the end of the 2025 season, but it was unclear whether or not the organization would choose to shift roles around.

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"I'm not sure what the moving parts will mean down the road, but we did bring in four new coaches this past year and that's not a reason for growing pains or making mistakes early but there was some newness," Lovullo had previously told Arizona Sports 98.7's Burns & Gambo Show.

"It was very unique trying to get to know this many coaches, me personally, the coaches to the players, so I feel like if we bring back the same staff we're going to hit on all cylinders the minute we walk into spring training next year."

Third-base coach is often a position that only receives attention as a result of a negative outcome. Arizona had plenty of those negative outcomes in 2025, and will go in a different direction this season in search of stability at third base.

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