Darren Fenster joined the Hurricanes baseball program prior to the 2024 season, accepting a position as an assistant coach.
Fenster comes to The U after spending the past 12 years with the Boston Red Sox. During his time with the organization, Fenster groomed the next crop of major-league stars, helping the Red Sox win two World Series Championships in 2013 and 2018.
Over the last five seasons, Fenster worked as the minor league infield coordinator and minor league outfield and base running coordinator.
Previously, Fenster was a manager in the Red Sox organization for six years.
In 2018, he guided the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs after four seasons as the skipper of the Single-A affiliate Greenville Drive. Fenster was tabbed the 2017 South Atlantic League Manager of the Year after leading the Drive to the team’s first league championship.
His first minor league managerial post was in 2013 with the Gulf Coast League Red Sox after getting his start within the organization as the hitting coach for Greenville one year earlier.
Fenster has also worked with the United States National Baseball Team since 2021. He was named a coach for Team USA during the club’s final efforts to qualify for the Tokyo Summer Olympics under former Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Sciosia.
After the team qualified, Fenster was the third-base coach for the Olympics, helping the U.S. claim the silver medal.
Prior to joining the Red Sox, Fenster worked at Rutgers for six seasons under ABCA Hall of Fame head coach Fred Hill. The Middletown, N.J., native returned to his alma mater as the director of operations and helped the program win the 2007 Big East title. He then became an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Rutgers before moving to the professional level.
A two-time All-American shortstop and four-year starter for the Scarlet Knights (1997-2000), Fenster is a member of the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame. He holds the program records for hits (315), doubles (65), at-bats (818) and single-season hits (101 in 2000).
As a senior in 2000, Fenster was a consensus First Team All-American, notching a .433 batting average. That year, the Scarlet Knights posted their first-ever 40-win season and were ranked as high as No. 14 nationally.
The 2000 Big East Player of the Year was selected in the 12th round of the MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Kansas City Royals. Fenster played five seasons in the Royals’ farm system, advancing to the Double-A level, before suffering a career-ending knee injury.
