News Release: 8/10/2021 Lake Country DockHounds Name The Coaching Staff

Two Former Brewers, Returning League Honoree to Coach Inaugural 2022 DockHounds Season  
OCONOMOWOC, WI (Aug. 10, 2021) — 

Two former Brewers and a previous league “Manager of the Year,” boasting winning records from national to Olympic-level baseball, will coach the new Lake Country DockHounds team in 2022, the American Association of Professional Baseball franchise announced Tuesday. 
The coaches’ storied achievements set the stage for the DockHounds’ promise to take baseball “Off the Leash”:
Jim Bennett, Manager, returns to the American Association after being named 2019 Manager of the Year, one of many accolades across a winning 30-year career. 

David Nilsson, Bench / Hitting Coach, is a former Milwaukee Brewer, 1999 All-Star and Silver Medalist representing the Australian Olympic Baseball Team. 

Paul Wagner, Bullpen Coach, pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians, and is a well-known radio personality for 97.3 The Game.  
“People are really going to like our presence and the energy we bring, both on and off the field,” Bennett said. “You’re going to see an exciting brand of baseball here in Oconomowoc. These guys are going to bring it day in and day out to win! It will be an experience you will want to be a part of.”
The coaches not only have proven skills, but also proven synergy: Nilsson and Bennett are hot off a streak coaching the Brisbane Bandits to an unprecedented four consecutive championship titles in the Australian national league, and Nilsson and Wagner were Brewers teammates for two years. 
“We definitely know what a winning team feels like, and how to find the guys to be a part of that,” Bennett said. “A lot of times players can feel like just a number at this level, but to me it’s all about the individuals. I’m there to help them be their best.”
Bennett said his personal approach helps him earn players’ trust, and Nilsson echoed that a supportive environment is the key to their winning dynamic. Wagner, meanwhile, has a scientific eye for helping players refine the subtleties of their skill. 
“These are the players right on the cusp, so sometimes just a small tweak can help them get to the big leagues,” Wagner said. “I can relate to them to help them get there, because I’ve been where they are, and where they want to go.”  
All 3 coaches noted a palpable groundswell for baseball in the Lake Country community, and promised to stoke that passion. The team itself grew from a grassroots love of the game, with an owners group that includes another two MLB stars and their families. 
“More than any community, Lake Country deserves this,” said Wagner, who is a local himself. 
With previous tenure managing the opposing RedHawks and a son on the starting lineup for the Chicago Dogs, Bennett’s sure to add some fire to the team’s friendly rivalries, too. 
Fans can learn more about the team as they prepare for their 2022 Opening Season at dockhounds.com. 

# # #
Jim Bennett, Manager
Bennett is the pitching coach for the Australian National Baseball Team, and has been coaching successfully since 1992. He spent one previous year in the American Association League, earning the 2019 Manager of the Year title for taking the RedHawks to their first postseason stint since 2013. He has been pitching/bench coach since 2015 for the Brisbane Bandits, who have won the last 4 Australian Baseball League Championships in a row. 

David Nilsson, Bench / Hitting Coach
Nilsson is known as Australia’s most influential baseball player. He became Australia’s first MLB player with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1992, and left after being named a 1999 All-Star to represent Australia on the Olympic team twice in 2000 and earning a Silver Medal in 2004. He is the current manager of the Australian national team and Brisbane Bandits, which he has led to 4 consecutive ABL championships. 

Paul Wagner, Bullpen Coach
Wagner was a pitcher for the MLB with the Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians. He never committed an error in his 8-year MLB career, and nearly clenched a no-hitter against the Colorado   in 1995 before a single hit with two outs in the ninth inning. He now trains some of the game’s brightest young talent, and is also a well-known radio personality for 97.3 The Game.