Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) looks on from the dugout in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on Aug. 18. Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw Reveals Post-Playing Career Plans

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By J.P. Hoornstra | Last updated Sep 15, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Clayton Kershaw won't be enrolling in college. He probably won't go into coaching, either.

Even the Dodgers' pitcher doesn't know what he'll be doing beyond 2025, whether that means throwing until his arm falls off or quietly riding off into the sunset of a Hall of Fame induction speech.

But in a new interview with the "Almost Athletes" show, the 37-year-old pitcher ruled out a couple possibilities for what his post-play days will look like.

Kershaw revealed that he won't honor the commitment he made to Texas A&M when he signed with the Dodgers in 2006.

"I don't think so. I don't know but I doubt it," Kershaw said of getting his degree. "I don't think so. It did look like a blast. When I went and visited Ellen down there when she was in college, A&M looked like such a great time, such a good culture there. I'm sad not to have stepped on campus but I think I made the right choice."

Asked if he had interest in coaching in the future, Kershaw downplayed the possibility of taking on the full-time schedule it demands.

"I think the coaching stuff is so hard because you have the same travel schedule" as a player, Kershaw said. "At least for the first few years, whenever I finish up, I need to be home, man. I need to be home with the kiddos. ... Especially we've got (child) number 5 coming in December.

"I'm going to be a great dad, be a stay-at-home dad for a while and love it, and then after a couple years we'll see what happens. I don't know."

Kershaw mentioned the possibility of taking up golf in retirement, or taking summer vacations to escape the heat in his native Dallas, Texas. In general, though, his post-playing plans seemed anything but concrete beyond being present for his family.

"Every offseason Ellen and I sit down and try to figure out the next year," he said. "Get through the season, figure out how everybody's doing and kind of go from there. I'm sure we'll do that again this offseason."

Kershaw's on-field performance doesn't suggest his retirement is imminent. He's 10-2 with a 3.53 ERA in 20 starts this season for the Dodgers, helping to stabilize a rotation that was in flux for the season's early months. His 2.53 career ERA is the lowest among all active pitchers.

Kershaw recently made his 11th career All-Star team but retirement is a question of when, not if, Kershaw's family is ready to have him home for the summer.