Padres bring back Black, four coaches

Sep 30, 2008 - 1:00 AM SAN DIEGO (Ticker) -- Manager Bud Black will be back with the San Diego Padres next year, as will four of his coaches. But Craig Colbert is not one of them.

The Padres on Monday announced Black, bullpen coach Darrel Akerfelds, pitching coach Darren Balsley, third base coach Glenn Hoffman and first base coach Rick Renteria will return in 2009 but that bench coach Colbert will not have his contract renewed.

"We have the confidence and trust in Buddy to lead the club back to our winning ways," San Diego general manager Kevin Towers said. "When we hired him before the 2007 season, the most important element to us was to bring in a manager who would continue to grow with the Padres organization."

The 43-year-old Colbert was named San Diego's bench coach in November 2006 after managing the franchise's Class AAA affiliate in Portland to a 222-209 record from 2004-05. He also managed at Class AA Mobile and Class A affiliates Fort Wayne and Lake Elsinore after retiring as a player with the Padres' Class AAA club in Las Vegas in 1998.

"Craig has been a valuable member of the Padres organization for many years," Towers said. "We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors."

"I am grateful to Kevin Towers and the Padres for the opportunities I have had in this organization," Colbert said. "I am very proud of my accomplishments as a player, coach and manager in my 14 years with the Padres organization."