When Butch Thompson joined Daron Schoenrock's roster at Birmingham-Southern in 1991, the two didn't exactly agree on how the former should be used as a pitcher. The current Auburn head coach saw himself qualified to be a starter. However, his new coach thought of Thompson as more of a reliever.

The coach, of course, won, and Thompson excelled as the team's closer.

"He never said another word to me about starting after that," Schoenrock said.

The two are now reunited as Schoenrock, after 18 years as the head coach at Memphis, has taken over the role of Auburn pitching coach left vacant by Tim Hudson. It won't be the first time they have coached together, with Thompson serving as Schoenrock's pitching coach at BSC from 1994-96. According to the longtime coach, that is when he and his new boss started to become close.

"We're constantly working on the field together," Schoenrock said. "Back then, those programs like that, you did all the field work. You washed the clothes at night. You'd clean the locker room. You recruited. You just did everything … And I started mentoring him a little bit on pitching and running a pitching staff. And I knew then he was going to be a good one."

"The timing is perfect," according to Schoenrock, to join Thompson's staff. He was looking for a new challenge after building the Memphis program for nearly two decades. And, staying in touch with Thompson, he got an early clue that Hudson's spot on the staff would come open. A phone call between the two in April, with Schoenrock realizing it was time to step down as head coach, sparked the idea of him coming to the Plains and working for his former player and colleague.

"He (Thompson) just said, 'Hey, man! I'm just going to give you a heads up. Huddy's going to get out this year,'" Schoenrock said.

The Tennessee native also got to sit down with Hudson to discuss the staff he is taking over, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of each returning pitcher while also going over the incoming freshmen and transfers. Schoenrock also recognizes the challenges of the current pitching staff, mentioning the loss of the nation's best closer in Blake Burkhalter and two weekend starters. Still, he is confident that his close relationship with Thompson will help the Tigers through those difficulties.

"We're not afraid to bounce ideas off of each other either, and that's because we've coached together before," Schoenrock said.

As for getting back in the groove of focusing entirely on pitching and not the entire program, Thompson assured Schoenrock that that would come naturally.

"Butch said, 'Man, after two days, you're going to be back in there," he said. '"It'll just take two days.' So, for 18 years, I've been running the whole club. So, going back to what I cut my teeth on."

From a coach/player relationship to head coach/assistant and now having the roles reversed, Schoenrock, who was in Thompson's wedding, is ready to get going and help lead Auburn back to Omaha.

"And now, to really work hand-in-hand in a program that has reached the point that Auburn has, it's going to be an absolute blast," he said.