Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw, 37, has made it clear that family life will take priority after he retires following the 2025 MLB season. He has ruled out returning to college or stepping into a coaching role.
When asked about finishing his Texas A&M degree, which he deferred in 2006 after signing with the Dodgers, Kershaw said:
“I don’t think so. I don’t know but I doubt it. It did look like a blast. When I went and visited Ellen [his wife] down there when she was in college, A&M looked like such a great time, such a good culture there. I’m sad not to have stepped on campus but I think I made the right choice.”
Coaching Not on the Cards
Kershaw also dismissed the idea of coaching immediately after retirement:
“I think the coaching stuff is so hard because you have the same travel schedule as a player. At least for the first few years, whenever I finish up, I need to be home, man. I need to be home with the kiddos. Especially, we’ve got [child] number five coming in December. I’m going to be a great dad, be a stay-at-home dad for a while and love it, and then after a couple years we’ll see what happens. I don’t know.”
Future Plans: Golf and Family Time
While Kershaw considered lighter post-career options like playing golf or taking summer vacations away from Texas heat, he stressed that family remains the main focus.
“Every offseason Ellen and I sit down and try to figure out the next year. Get through the season, figure out how everybody’s doing and kind of go from there. I’m sure we’ll do that again this offseason,” he added.
Kershaw’s Impressive 2025 Season
Despite the looming retirement, Kershaw’s on-field performance remains strong. He is 10-2 with a 3.53 ERA across 20 starts this season and earned his 11th career All-Star appearance in July. His career ERA of 2.53 is currently the lowest among all active MLB pitchers, cementing his status as one of the greatest pitchers of his generation.
