PULASKI, Va. – With the countdown to a new baseball season underway, the Pulaski River Turtles are unveiling the on-field staff that will lead the team’s 2026 Appalachian League campaign.
Staff members joining manager Bill Kinneberg include pitching coach Mikey Tejera, hitting coach Jeff Garber and coach Joe Kinneberg.
Bill Kinneberg
2026 will mark Kinneberg’s fourth season in the Appalachian League. Kinneberg has led the River Turtles to a pair of third-place finishes in the Appalachian League East Division in his first two seasons managing the team. Kinneberg captained the River Turtles to a 23-22 record in 2025.
Regarded as one of the most accomplished head coaches in the history of the University of Utah’s baseball program, Kinneberg amassed 381 wins, two NCAA tournament appearances, one Mountain West tournament championship and one Pac-12 Conference title during his 18-year career (1996, 2005-21). Kinneberg received the Pac-12 Baseball Coach of the Year award in 2016. He retired from full-time coaching following Utah’s 2021 season.
Head coaching stints at UTEP (1985) and Wyoming (1986-92) preceded his tenure at Utah. His teams established school records for victories in a season at UTEP in 1985 and Wyoming in 1990, an achievement that earned him WAC Coach of the Year honors.
Other milestones in Kinneberg’s extensive coaching career include three seasons on the staff of the USA National Team, including one season as manager of the program in 2010. He coached for two seasons in the Chicago White Sox Minor League system. He has held assistant coaching positions at UTEP, Arizona State and the University of Arizona, where he played his final two seasons of college baseball as a pitcher in 1978 and 1979.
Mikey Tejera
Former big league pitcher Mikey Tejera will join the River Turtles coaching staff in 2026 following two seasons as the pitching coach of the Bristol State Liners. Tejera’s extensive playing career includes five seasons in the Major Leagues with the Florida Marlins and the Texas Rangers. Tejera earned a World Series title with the Marlins in 2003, making two playoff appearances during the team’s championship campaign.
Tejera transitioned to coaching following the conclusion of his playing career, earning a second World Series ring with the Washington Nationals in 2019 during a 13-year stint with the organization.
Jeff Garber
Jeff Garber’s rich baseball background precedes him as he embarks on his first season in the Appalachian League. Garber boasts a distinguished 38-year coaching resume that includes lengthy tenures with the Kansas City Royals and the Washington Nationals. Garber served in myriad roles during his stint with the Royals, including Short-Season and Advanced-A manager and Interim Major League bench coach. Garber also held several notable positions with the Washington Nationals, including Extended Spring Training Coordinator, Short Season-A manager, Minor League infield coordinator and Minor League fundamentals coach.
A four-year standout at James Madison University, Garber was selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 10th round of the 1998 draft. Garber ascended to AAA over the course of an eight-year playing career in the Minors.
Joe Kinneberg
Following three seasons in the Appalachian League as a player, including two seasons in Pulaski, Joe Kinneberg transitioned to a leadership role with the River Turtles in 2025. Kinneberg is returning to Pulaski’s coaching staff in 2026 having completed a graduate assistant coaching position at Arkansas Tech University this season.
Kinneberg’s collegiate career began at Western Nebraska Community College in 2020. Kinneberg then played for Newman University for two seasons before concluding his career at Arkansas Tech. Kinneberg’s final collegiate tally included 180 hits and an above-.340 batting average at the Division II level.
During his final season in the Appalachian League as a player, Kinneberg was selected to play on the Appalachian League Select Team that defeated Team USA, 4-3, during USA Baseball’s Summer League Tour in 2024.
