New White Sox manager Tony La Russa gets to work on coaching staff

New White Sox manager Tony La Russa’s next order of business will be assembling a coaching staff, and while he talked about the value of continuity in the context of possible holdovers from Rick Renteria’s staff, Nick Capra is one coach who won’t be back, according to a source.

Capra, 62, completed his 25th season in the Sox’ organization, including the last four as third-base coach. Before that, he was director of player development from 2012 to 2016. Don Cooper, with the organization since 1988 and pitching coach since 2002, was fired the day Renteria was let go.

Most, if not all, of the other coaches from Renteria’s staff are expected to be considered or interviewed for La Russa’s staff. Joe Mc-Ewing, Renteria’s bench coach who worked with the infielders the last four seasons, was such a favorite of La Russa’s when he played for him with the Cardinals in 1998 and ’99 that La Russa kept a pair of his spikes as a keepsake.

This season’s coaches, like Renteria, are still under contract for 2021. Renteria did not select his coaches, but La Russa is expected to have more say in those decisions.

First-base and outfielders coach Daryl Boston, 57, has been on the staff for eight years, McEwing nine. McEwing, 48, was the third-base coach from 2012 to 2016. Bullpen coach Curt Hasler, 55, has held that job for five seasons after 24 years as a Sox minor-league coach and was mentioned by La Russa on Thursday.

Hitting coach Frank Menechino, 49, and assistant hitting coach Scott Coolbaugh, 54, completed their first seasons.

“The first meaningful conversation will be about the staff,” La Russa said Thursday.

“In discussions with [vice president] Kenny [Williams] and [general manager] Rick [Hahn], probably get [chairman] Jerry [Reinsdorf] involved if we have to, the importance of a coaching staff at the major-league level today is vital.

“These conversations we’re going to have about the staff are really important. And I would tell you, one of the priorities that we’ve all agreed on is, wherever possible, continuity. When you have something as good as what the White Sox had going last year, and especially that culture in the clubhouse and the coaches that were a part of that, that’s going to be looked at very closely, respected, and if there are some spots available, we’re going to look carefully at how important that choice will be to add to what we have.”

La Russa, 76, talked to 75-year-old Dave Duncan, his longtime sidekick with the Sox, Athletics and Cardinals who was a pitching consultant for the Sox this season, about his interest in coming out of retirement to be his pitching coach.

“Dave is not coming back,” La Russa said. “I don’t have anybody specific. But the most important point is when you look at our ballclub, after all these years of service, that’s a huge vacancy. Pitching has so much potential and is so important to the success, not just in 2021 but going forward, that we’re going to be very open-minded about who the choice is. I know there is a lot of confidence in Curt in the bullpen, so maybe we just need one choice, not two. But we’re just getting into that process, and it’s going to have the highest priority. Looking forward to making that choice.

“And it’s going to be a difficult one because I’ve already seen a few texts that I’ve gotten. I haven’t read the texts, but I know that some are checking in.”