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Tennessee hires Helton as director of player development

Chris Humphreys / USA TODAY Sports

Todd Helton's retirement plans seem to have been short lived.

The University of Tennessee have hired the Colorado Rockies' longtime first baseman as their director of player development - a role he will serve under head coach Dave Serrano, according to Mike Griffith of Sec Country.

"I've been away from the game three years, and this is a way for me to put my toe back in the water and get back in the game again," Helton said on Friday, confirming the news.

"I love Tennessee, and I've always loved this university, and they welcomed me back."

The 43-year-old played his entire 17-year career with the Rockies. He went on to win three Gold Glove awards, make six All-Star appearances, and received votes for National League MVP six times. Helton also holds a number of Rockies records including hits (2,519), home runs (369), doubles (592), walks (1,335), runs scored (1,401), RBIs (1,406), and games played (2,247).

"I was mentally and physically ready to retire for three years, I knew I was going to retire at the end of the 2013 season. But to be honest, not really having anything to do is not easy. You want to have a purpose in life, you want to be driven."

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