MILWAUKEE -- Third base coach Nick Leyva's tenure with the Brewers is over after one season, but the rest of the coaching staff will be back for 2008.

Returning under manager Ned Yost is bench coach Dale Sveum, hitting coach Jim Skaalen, pitching coach Mike Maddux, bullpen coach Bill Castro and first base coach Ed Sedar. The senior staff member is Castro, who will be back for a 17th season in the Brewers' bullpen. Maddux is the only other coach who has been on the staff since Yost took the helm for the 2003 season.

"I'm kind of at a loss for words right now," said Leyva, who along with Sedar and Skaalen, joined the staff for 2007. "It's really sad to me because I feel like the Brewers have somewhere to go, and now I'm not going to be there."

He added: "I felt like I did my job."

The Brewers will move quickly in naming Leyva's replacement, general manager Doug Melvin said, and Yost already has several candidates in mind. One of them is Triple-A Nashville manager Frank Kremblas, a high-energy former Minor League infielder who has managed the last eight seasons in the Brewers' Minor League chain.

"Nick did a nice job for us in a couple of areas, but we're not going to comment on it too much," Melvin said.

Melvin and Yost met for dinner in Milwaukee last week and evaluated the coaching staff.

"Ned said last week that he was thinking about making one change, but he wanted to take the time to think it over, make sure it was the right move," Melvin said. "I told him to call me on Monday, and he did. These are always tough."

Hired last November, Leyva was the choice at the time partly because he brought Major League managerial experience to a staff that had none outside of Yost. Leyva, 54, was 148-189 as Philadelphia's manager from 1989-91, and before joining the Brewers had coached in the Majors with the Cardinals and Blue Jays, winning the World Series with both teams.

Aside from his in-game duties at third base, Leyva worked extensively with players on bunting and, with Sveum, compiled reports with the team's computerized scouting system used to position infielders.

Leyva was caught off-guard by the news on Tuesday afternoon, and said Yost told him they were not on the "same wavelength."

"We had our little organizational meeting last week and Doug said he would call us, and I just assumed everything was fine," Leyva said. "When I got the news, it kind of stunned me. But baseball is what it is. I guess [Yost] didn't feel comfortable with me, and that's good enough for me. I've been on that side of things and had to do that before, too."

The Brewers finished 83-79 in 2007 for their first winning season in 15 years. But they were eliminated from postseason contention on the final Friday of the season and finished two games behind the Cubs in the National League Central.

"They're knocking on the door of some good things, and there are some good people there, including Ned," Leyva said. "If he had to make this move to help them get to that next level, then so be it. That's part of being the manager."

Leyva said he would seek a position in another organization.