Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie

I rub really talented people. Chicago➡️Austin➡️Philly. Gaffner➡️McDuffie @texaslonghorns➡️@Sixers

[Dustin McComas @DustinLMcComas]

Had the privilege of covering the entire Skip Johnson tenure at Texas. He arrived a down-to-earth baseball junkie and accomplished JUCO coach who was a pitching savant and an underrated talent evaluator for hitters, too. The guys who could come to Austin to throw bullpens... pretty incredible. I think Cliff Lee wore sandals for his. Anyway...

Over the years, he slowly started doing a little more media each year (if I remember right, Augie might've encouraged this) and you knew people believed so highly of him that they wanted him to start doing things assistant coaches needed to do to get head coach opportunities. And as great of a pitching coach and evaluator of overall talent he was, he was also a humble sponge that soaked up the winning wisdom from Augie Garrido.

But the more we had time around Skip on and off the record, the more you appreciated he was exactly the guy he is now. And that's why he is where he is now - a national champion.

In an industry that can sometimes encourage coaches of status to stray away from who they are and try to become something they're not, he's as authentic as they come. I have no doubt you could drop him into any baseball setting at any level and he'd excel and the way he brings the best out of and manages people is commendable. People use to marvel at how quickly he could have the other dugout's signs and how he could simply watch a guy run and move and know that player had upside on the mound. The stories are endless.

Congrats to one of the all-time best baseball minds and teachers of the game for winning the big one.

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@CoachJohnsonOU 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻Great job!

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@sixhundredlbs Is there a LIST 4.0?

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@GrandSlamTrack @sxsw @lovbatx @Nikki_Hiltz @itsgabbyt Elite squad right there! 🩷

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@MirtaB_ I’m so sorry to hear about this Mirta! Pilar was always so sweet in all of my interactions with her. Hugs to you 🤍

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@TheSamAcho I’ve actually been. The kids are fantastic and it’s an amazing thing for the community! 💛🍎🥦🍇

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@SlippinBenny Best tweet of the year

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@MsBiancaAK So excited for this!

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

Duh!!!! ❤️💯💪🏼😤

[Shams Charania @ShamsCharania]

Philadelphia 76ers All-Star Tyrese Maxey has won the 2023-24 NBA Most Improved Player of the Year award.

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@Zay_Ctmd11 Matches all the others in size

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@LaurenMRosen @TyreseMaxey @sixers @TrevorGaffney_ ZERO turnovers!

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

LFG!!!!!

[Philadelphia 76ers @sixers]

r̶i̶s̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶s̶t̶a̶r̶ ➡️ #NBAAllStar

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@MsBiancaAK Happy Birthday!

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@KRODtheSID Very

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@Sassymiss926 Myles Garrett

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

This #WorldAthleticsChamps has been so fun to watch!! I so miss working in T&F

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@MsFastTwitch @tar___ruh Came to play

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@MsBiancaAK Congrats Bianca!!

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@MsFastTwitch We all know why May is the best month 😉

[Kelly (Gaffner) McDuffie @KellyGaffner]

@EmmanuelAcho @NBA Wouldn’t have to run him down if he didn’t give it up in the first place #EMVPIID