After 12 years as a volunteer, Matt Kirby lands paid gig on Brian O’Connor’s Virginia Baseball staff

Matt Kirby was a volunteer assistant on Brian O’Connor’s staff at Virginia for 12 years, which, yes, is a long damn time to be doing something that is essentially a full-time job for free.

Good news for Kirby, and maybe more so for his wife, Mallory: he’s finally going to be getting paid now.

“Matt Kirby’s loyalty, dedication and service to this program over the past 12 years has been at an elite level,” said O’Connor, who announced Kirby’s promotion on Tuesday.

The promotion is possible because the NCAA passed legislation that took effect this summer that allows D1 baseball programs to have three full-time paid assistants.

“Once the ruling took effect, the decision to make Matt a full-time assistant was a no-brainer, and our administration supported our efforts to make this promotion happen,” O’Connor said. “Matt has been integral in our success during his time in Charlottesville, and this opportunity will not only advance his professional career but is key for us to sustain the success of our program.”

Kirby was most noticeable to fans because he has served as O’Connor’s first-base coach, but his more important role was working with UVA’s catchers and outfielders.

The William & Mary grad was a catcher in college, slashing .302/.385/.407 in 153 games from 1999-2002, with six homers.

After graduation, Kirby started his coaching career at W&M in 2003, ahead of stints at VMI, Brown, Villanova and Georgetown, before landing the volunteer gig at Virginia ahead of the 2012 season.

Virginia has made four trips to Omaha in his 12 years, the most recent coming this past summer.

“It has been an absolute privilege to represent the University of Virginia and its baseball program over the last 12 years,” Kirby said. “I am honored and thankful for the trust that Coach O’Connor and athletic director Carla Williams and the rest of the baseball staff have bestowed in me to continue to help reach our goal of capturing another NCAA Championship.

“I am humbled by the promotion, and will continue to work diligently with our staff to continue to make the University of Virginia one of the premier baseball programs in the country. I would also like to thank my wife Mallory and daughter Ren, and my parents, Carroll and Beverly Kirby, without their love and support, none of this would be possible.”

That last line is the most important one.