Coaching Staff University of Tennessee Rod Delmonico Head Coach (Liberty, 1980) 88 16th Season 588-326 (.643), College World Series 1995, 2001 he Southeastern Conference’s longest tenured baseball coach is the University of Tennessee’s The Delmonico File TRod Delmonico, who is set to begin his 16th season at the helm of the Volunteers in 2004. The longtime leader of the Big Orange ranks sixth on the league’s all-time victories list with 588 Full Name: Rodney James Delmonico and needs 47 more wins to move past former Auburn skipper Hal Baird into sixth place. Birthdate: May 14, 1958 The winningest coach in Tennessee baseball history, Delmonico led the Vols to their fifth 30-win Education: season in the last seven years and 14th overall in 2004. He also picked up his 220th Southeastern New Hanover High School, Wilmington, N.C. 1976 Conference victory in a 12-9 win over Florida on May 21. He became the ninth coach in SEC his- tory to reach the 500-win mark following a 6-4 victory over UNC Asheville March 8, 2002. Liberty University, B.A. in physical education 1980 Before Delmonico's arrival in 1990, none of the following accomplishments would have been Clemson University, M.A. in education administration 1983 mentioned in the same sentence with Tennessee baseball. Using knowledge that he gleaned from Family: two of college baseball's coaching legends -- Clemson's Bill Wilhelm and Florida State's Mike Children: Tony, Joey and Nicky Martin -- Delmonico and his Vols have posted eight 40-win seasons, including two 50-win cam- paigns. His teams have won an average of 39 games per year, while garnering two Southeastern Playing Experience: Conference titles, making two trips to the College World Series, appearing in seven NCAA region- Lettered in baseball at Liberty University 1977 als, including four regional finals, while winning four SEC Eastern Division crowns and three SEC Lettered in soccer at Liberty University 1978 Eastern Division Tournament championships. In addition, he was named Baseball America's 1995 National Coach of the Year and the SEC Coach of the Year in 1994 and 1995. Coaching Experience: Likewise, during his overall coaching career he has been part of teams that have participated in Assistant Coach at Gloucester (N.J.) County College 1981 the College World Series five times, Graduate Assistant Coach at Clemson 1982-83 Delmonico’s Milestone Victories made 13 NCAA regional appearances, Assistant Coach at Florida State 1984-89 Win Game Date won 10 conference or division titles and 1 UT 17, East Tennessee State 12 Feb. 21, 1990 posted nine conference tournament Head Coach at Tennessee 1990-Present 50 UT 13, UNC Asheville 3 March 27, 1991 championships. With a background of Head Coaching Team Accomplishments: 100 UT 4, Milligan 0 April 22, 1992 winning at the top level of collegiate 588-326 (.643) in 15 years at Tennessee 150 UT 14, Kansas 4 Feb. 11, 1994 baseball dotting his resume, it's no won- Two College World Series appearances (1995, 2001) 200 UT 6, Western Carolina 4 May 28, 1994 der that his teams are perennial con- 250 UT 5, The Citadel 2 May 25, 1995 tenders for the conference title as well as Seven NCAA Regional appearances (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2004) 300 UT 8, Central Florida 6 Feb. 7, 1997 a national championship. 350 UT 8, Morehead State 2 Feb. 28, 1999 Delmonico has seen 81 Vols sign pro- Four NCAA Regional finals (1994, 1995, 1996, 2001) 400 UT 4, Georgia 3 May 1, 1999 fessional baseball contracts including Two Southeastern Conference Titles (1994, 1995) 450 UT 14, College of Charleston 6 Feb. 19, 2001 four first-round picks. In fact, over the Four SEC Eastern Division Titles (1993, 1994, 1995, 1997) 500 UT 6, UNC Asheville 4 March 8, 2002 last 23 years at the Division I level, he 550 UT 6, Tusculum 2 May 12, 2003 has coached or signed 28 players who Eight 40-win seasons; Two 50-win seasons went to play in the major leagues, Coaching Honors: including the likes of Todd Helton, Joe Randa, Jimmy Key, Luis Alicea, Deion Sanders, Paul 1993 Tennessee Baseball Coach of the Year Sorrento, and most recently, Chris Burke of the Houston Astros. He has coached 15 of Tennessee's 1994 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year 22 All-Americas, including three three-time selections and the 1995 National Player of the Year in Helton. In addition, 32 All-Conference players, including three SEC Players of the Year in Helton, 1995 Baseball America National Coach of the Year Jeff Pickler in 1998 and Chris Burke in 2001, have come under his watch. (Youngest coach to ever win the award) Not only is there solid leadership from the top on the diamond, but he is also a tremendous role 1995 ABCA South Region Coach of the Year model off the field who emphasizes the "student" in student-athlete to all his players. As a result, 1995 Tennessee Baseball Coach of the Year there have been three Academic All-America selections and 56 student-athletes named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll. 1995 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year With probably one of the greatest coaching jobs of his career, Delmonico guided the 2001 Vols to Publications & Professional Accomplishments: their second College World Series in his regime. Picked to finish no better than fourth in the SEC Coached or signed 28 major league players in 23 years Eastern Division, Tennessee tied for second overall in the league and rolled through the NCAA Over 100 players coached have gone on to play pro baseball Regionals and Super Regional to finish third at the CWS. SEC Player of the Year, National Player of the Year finalist and consensus All-America Chris Burke led the unsung Vols that season. A total Nationally sought-after clinician in amateur baseball of seven players were drafted, including Burke and pitcher Wyatt Allen in the first round. Worked baseball clinics in Italy, Germany, Holland, Croatia and Each of his Volunteers teams has exhibited an explosive offense, finishing in the top four in bat- Austria ting average nine times, including a league leading .340 average in 1998. He has also built a pitch- Accomplished banquet speaker for youth, civic and business ing staff that has ranked in the top five in earned run average nine times, including a league leading associations 2.98 ERA in 1994. Authored the book Hit and Run Baseball In 1995, he guided a very gutty team, led by National Player of the Year Todd Helton, to a third- Authored the book Offensive Drills place finish at the College World Series. It was the first appearance by the Vols in Omaha in 44 years. The squad compiled a 54-16 mark, recording the most wins in school history, and garnered a Authored the book Defensive Baseball consensus top-5 final ranking. Helton was a finalist for the Golden Spikes Award. Authored the book Defensive Drills Led by National Freshman of the Year pitcher R.A. Dickey, whose 15 wins led the nation, the Produced a videotape Aggressive Baserunning 1994 Volunteers reached the regional finals while compiling a 52-14 record and finishing the sea- son ranked in the top 10, reaching a high of No. 2 by Baseball America. It was the first-ever 50-win Produced a videotape Hitting Fundamentals with Drills season for a Tennessee team and, with a 24-5 Southeastern Conference record, it was the first league Published articles in Scholastic Coach and Collegiate Baseball 12 Seven NCAA Appearances in the Delmonico Era 2005 Volunteers Baseball Coaching Staff crown in 43 years. The Vols set an SEC record with 17 consecutive league wins. was rated the best, and In 1993, Delmonico's dream of upgrading facilities and moving the Tennessee both the 1986 and 1987 baseball program to the forefront of college baseball came true when the Vols recruits were ranked sec- stepped into their $2.2 million state-of-the-art facility in Lindsey Nelson Stadium. ond. In 1988, he was In a 1998 Baseball America survey, the stadium, which seats 4,000, was voted the tabbed as the nation’s 14th best in the nation. Today, with the addition of a 30x50 foot electronic score- third-best recruiter by board and message center, Tennessee baseball has become a big springtime event. Collegiate Baseball. The 1993 season was a special one on the diamond as well. The Vols posted a Before moving to 45-20 record, the team’s most victories to that point, and began a string of hosting Florida State, Delmonico three straight NCAA Mideast Regionals. It was also UT's first trip to NCAA post- gained experience as a season play since the 1951 College World Series, and the Vols claimed their first graduate assistant coach postseason title by winning the first of three consecutive SEC Eastern Division at Clemson from 1982-83 Tournaments. They achieved their first national ranking in April and were ranked under legendary coach for 91 straight weeks over the next five seasons. Bill Wilhelm and as an Delmonico's first team in 1990 posted 28 wins, the most since 1982, and blew assistant at Division III the critics away in 1991 with the school’s first-ever 40-win season by posting a 41- Gloucester County 19 record. The 1992 squad got off to the best start in school history by reeling off College in Sewell, N.J., eight straight wins and finishing with a 35-20 record. Following a trip to the CWS where he served as the in 1995, his 1996 charges also reached the regional finals with a 43-20 record.