RUSTON, La. – Former Bulldog baseball great and Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Famer Charlie Montoyo was named the 13^th manager in the history of the Toronto Blue Jays Thursday.

The Blue Jays will officially introduce Montoyo during a news conference Monday at Rogers Centre.

Montoyo agreed to a three-year deal through 2021 with a team option for 2022. Montoyo managed the triple-A Durham Bulls from 2007-14 before joining the Tampa Bay Rays as third base coach in 2015. He was promoted to Tampa's bench coach this season.

"I am extremely honored and humbled to join the Toronto Blue Jays organization," Montoyo said in a statement. "Managing a team that represents an entire nation is incredibly special.

"My family and I look forward to working towards the ultimate goal of winning a championship for this city. I also want to recognize the entire Tampa Bay Rays organization for giving me the chance to start my coaching career."

Montoyo was inducted into the Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015, more than 25 years after he finished a stellar career for the Bulldogs on the diamond.
When he arrived at Louisiana Tech, he was described as a "likeable youngster with a fine attitude" by another LA Tech legend in the late Pat "Gravy" Patterson. When he left, he was hailed as "one of the finest infielders Tech's ever had."

And that he was.

In 1984, Montoyo played one season at De Anza College in Cupertino, California, after coming from his home country of Puerto Rico. In 1985, he began his journey to the Louisiana Tech Athletics Hall of Fame.

"That was one of the best decisions I ever made in my life," said Montoyo of coming to Louisiana Tech. "I came to the States for the first time the year before and I had to go to De Anza so I could take English as a second language. There was a kid there that went to Tech before me and he told my sponsor I should visit. From the first time I met Coach Patterson, he made an impact on me. I transferred that fall and the rest is history.

"The whole Tech experience was a dream looking back at it now. When you are there, you're just doing your thing. Looking back at it, I thank God I made the decision to come to Tech."

Montoyo experienced immediate success on the diamond with a .339 average, six home runs and 29 RBI's (four game-winning RBI's) in his first season. He made just four errors in 172 chances at second base and was hailed as one-half of possibly the best middle infield combination to ever step foot on J.C. Love Field with Jeff "Whitey" Richardson holding down the fort at shortstop.

As a junior, Montoyo continued his ascent in the LA Tech record books by leading the Bulldogs in batting average (.383), home runs (16), walks (56) and runs scored (65). He earned the George Kell Award as the top hitter in the Southland Conference and was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 26th round following the season, but chose to stick around for his senior year because of one man.

Arguably his biggest moment as a Bulldog came against LSU on April 16, 1987 at J.C. Love Field when the second baseman stepped in the box in the 10th inning of a 4-4 ball game against LSU and crushed a ball over the wall in left field. He was mobbed at home plate and the crowd of 2,375 rushed the field. It was a memorable moment in a season where there were plenty of them.

"That was probably one of the best games I ever played," he said of the walk-off win over the Tigers. "It was so crowded. I'm pretty sure the whole university was there."

Montoyo, 53, retired as a major league player after the 1996 season. He spent 10 years as an infielder in the Milwaukee Brewers, Montreal Expos and Philadelphia Phillies organizations.

His lone big-league experience as a player came in 1993 with the Expos when he appeared in four games. Montoyo was a sixth-round selection by Milwaukee in the 1987 first-year player draft.

The native of Florida, Puerto Rico, has managed teams at every classification in the Rays' system. He was named International League manager of the year in 2010 and 2013.

Montoyo compiled a 1,266-1,142 (.526) minor-league managerial record. He also coached Team Puerto Rico in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.