Torey Lovullo's managing future was uncertain following the conclusion of the 2026 regular season. Lovullo's Diamondbacks narrowly missed the postseason and he was on an expiring contract. On Thursday, however, it was revealed that Lovullo was returning to manage the Diamondbacks on a two-year contract. Lovullo spoke to reporters later in the day and admitted he went “radio silent” while making his decision and even took a break to relax, which involved watching the popular show, Ted Lasso.

“I took Monday, Tuesday and part of Wednesday to just answer zero questions,” Lovullo told reporters, via Dom Tibbetts of ABC15 Arizona. “… I just went radio silent. I just told myself I had to emotionally unplug a little bit, I wanted to just take time for myself and my wife. We watched Ted Lasso, first episode to the last episode, in two and a half days. That's where I was.”

Ted Lasso plays role in Torey Lovullo returning to Diamondbacks

Ted Lasso, Entertainment

Lovullo is one of the better managers in the sport. The 61-year-old has led Arizona to winning seasons in three of the past four years, and the D'Backs of course reached the World Series in 2023. Their respectable 86-win season wasn't quite enough to push them into the postseason this year, but it still was a strong campaign for the ball club.

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Turning to a show such as Ted Lasso, which happens to be about a coach as well (albeit in a very different scenario than an MLB manager), is seemingly what Lovullo needed before making his final decision. The manager clearly believes he can help the Diamondbacks return to the playoffs.

“When it came time to discuss it, I opened up the discussion with (general manager) Mike (Hazen),” Lovullo continued. “To me it was a situation that I wanted to be back here. Both parties were interested in that.”

Competing in the National League West is never a simple task, but the D'Backs are a few roster upgrades away from emerging as a true contender, especially with Lovullo back as manager.

Perhaps D'Backs fans need to thank Ted Lasso for playing a role in Torey Lovullo returning.