Tag: pitching coach

Alabama softball hires new pitching coach from Big Ten school

Lance McMahon has served as Illinois’ pitching coach for the past seven years. He will now replace former Alabama pitching coach Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro.

Alabama softball had a huge void to fill when former pitching coach Stephanie VanBrakle Prothro became the head coach at Memphis. However, that void has been filled as Alabama hired Illinois pitching coach Lance McMahon. He served as the Illini’s pitching coach for the past seven years.

McMahon began his coaching career at Wichita State where he served as the Shockers’ pitching coach. He went on to spend two seasons with the program. After that, he served as a graduate assistant at LSU for two years. Then, he became the pitching coach at Illinois.

Alabama has had a multitude of successes on the mound in recent years. Pitchers like Montana Fouts, Jackie Traina, Alexis Osorio and Sydney Littlejohn all excelled for the Crimson Tide. McMahon will now have the opportunity to coach Fouts for her final season of college softball.

It will be interesting to see what McMahon can do with the pitchers next season. Alabama is bringing in multiple transfers as well as bringing back several key starters.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama softball and news surrounding the program.

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O’Sullivan named pitching coach for 2021 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team

Kevin O’Sullivan will have the opportunity to coach two of his players this summer with Team USA as the squad’s pitching coach.

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Florida baseball coach Kevin O’Sullivan has been named the pitching coach for the 2021 USA Collegiate National Team this summer. The team announced the news on Wednesday.

O’Sullivan, who just finished his 14th season as the Gators head coach, will make his debut coaching for USA Baseball when the team takes part in a series of 11 scrimmages July 2-15. Two of O’Sullivan’s players, pitchers Hunter Barco and Brandon Sproat, are on the roster.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the pitching coach for the 2021 USA Collegiate National Team and to work with some of the top student-athletes in our game today,” O’Sullivan said in a release. “I look forward to helping the players on this year’s team develop their game for the next level and want to thank USA Baseball for this great opportunity.”

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O’Sullivan is one of the nation’s top coaches, especially when it comes to coaching pitchers. He was the National Coach of the Year in 2017 when the team captured the first national title in school history, and he has been named the SEC Coach of the Year on three occasions.

“We are honored to welcome eight tremendous coaches to assist the Collegiate National Team this summer,” USA Baseball General Manager of National Teams Eric Campbell said. “This year will be unique for the collegiate program as we welcome in 48 athletes to represent Team USA. As we constructed this season for the athletes, the need for an experienced and versatile coaching staff became a priority to heighten the overall development experience, and we are confident we have done just that. These coaches bring a wealth of knowledge that will impact every single athlete who will wear the red, white and blue in a positive way now and for many years to come.”

Though he has never coached the national team before, he has sent 14 players to it in the past, including Alex Faedo (2016), Dalton Guthrie (2016), Mike Rivera (2016) and Tommy Mace (2019). Now, O’Sullivan is properly a part of the team and will look to coach a pair of his players to success this summer.

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