KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Ticker) -- Brent Strom, who spent the last two seasons in the Montreal Expos organization, today was named pitching coach of the Kansas City Royals.

The 51-year-old Strom replaces Mark Wiley, who left the Royals last month for a front office position with the Colorado Rockies.

"He has proven experience with young pitchers and should blend in well with the rest of our major league coaching staff," Royals general manager Herk Robinson said.

Strom takes over a staff that was dead last in the American League with a 5.35 ERA.

Strom was minor league pitching coordinator for the Expos last season after serving as pitching coach for the Harrisburg Senators of the Double-A Eastern League in 1998.

Before joining the Expos, Strom worked in the San Diego Padres system. His lone stint as a major league pitching coach was with the Houston Astros in 1996.