Clarksville, Ark.-Veteran baseball coach and longtime MLB scout Robert Yates has been hired as the new assistant baseball coach at University of the Ozarks, head coach Aaron Gentry announced this week.   
     
Yates, a native of Farmington, Ark., has a vast amount of experience across all levels of baseball. He most recently served as the pitching coach for the Paducah Kentucky Chiefs within the Ohio Valley Collegiate League. He was volunteer assistant coach at Southern Arkansas University during the 2019-20 season. There, Yates helped the Muleriders to a 19-4 record and a No. 18 national ranking before the season was cancelled due to COVID.  
     
He has a nearly 30-year career as an associate scout for the Braves, Reds, Pirates and Rangers. He has spent numerous seasons coaching in a variety of collegiate summer leagues, including the Ohio Valley Collegiate Wood Bat League, Hamptons Collegiate Baseball League and MINK Collegiate League. He was the pitching coach for the Niangua Flames and the Citrus Heights Knights of the Independent League.
     
"I'm thrilled to get Coach Yates on board," said Gentry. "His experiences in the military and baseball will no doubt make a positive impact on our baseball program. I'm looking forward to working side by side with Coach Yates as we strive to help our student-athletes improve on the field, in the classroom and in life." 
     
A retired United States Army Colonel, Yates was a lecturer at the University of Arkansas from 2014-2020. 
     
He graduated with a bachelor's degree in government/international relations from California State University-Sacramento. He holds a master's degree in history from Louisiana State University.