FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
CINCINNATI – Indiana University pitching coach Ty Neal, who is regarded as one of the top assistant coaches in college baseball, has been named the University of Cincinnati’s 27th baseball head coach, director of athletics Whit Babcock announced Friday.
Neal, a native of Southwest Ohio, has spent the last eight seasons at IU as the program’s top assistant and recruiting coordinator. He was previously an assistant for the Bearcats in 2004 and both played and coached at Miami (Ohio). The Hoosiers, playing at Florida State this weekend for a berth in the College World Series, are currently ranked No. 8 nationally and playing in the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time in school history.
“I’m pleased to welcome Ty, his wife Christine and their sons Silas and Beckett to the Bearcats family,” Babcock said. “Ty is a proven winner and is a perfect fit as the head baseball coach at the University of Cincinnati,” Babcock said. “When we first started this search, we looked for candidates that met three criteria: a great recruiter, a track record of proven success in building a program and the right match for our institution and community. We are confident that Coach Neal is the right coach to lead our program to national prominence.”
During Neal’s eight seasons with the Hoosiers, he has become known as one of the best teachers and recruiters in the game. He spent two years as the team’s infield and third-base coach and oversaw all development of position players from 2009-10. In 2011, he returned to his duties as the team’s pitching coach, a position he held from 2006-08. He was also IU’s recruiting coordinator, and has helped recruit 16 undrafted players out of high school that turned into Major League Baseball Draft Picks from 2008-10.
During his time at IU, the Hoosiers have won a pair of Big Ten Conference Tournament titles, IU’s first regular-season conference championship since 1949 and the first outright league title in 81 years. Indiana advanced to a pair of NCAA Regionals and one NCAA Super Regional, the first in program history during Neal’s tenure. Fifteen players earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors, eight were All-America selections, eight were freshmen All-America honorees, two were named league player of the year and one earned Big Ten Pitcher of the Year accolades.
During his coaching career, Neal has mentored 18 pitchers who have been drafted in the first 10 rounds of the Major League Baseball Draft.
“I would like to thank Dr. Santa Ono and Whit Babcock for entrusting me with this opportunity,” Neal said. “I am excited to be a part of the University of Cincinnati. My family and I look forward to being proud and active members of the Cincinnati community and my staff and I will work hard to give Bearcats fans a baseball team they can cheer on for years to come.”
Neal joined the Hoosiers after serving as the pitching coach under IU head coach Tracy Smith at Miami in 2005. That season, Neal guided Miami’s staff to a 3.33 ERA, the 16th-best mark in the nation, as the team earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament and matched a school record with 45 victories (45-18 overall). Prior to his stint at UC in 2004, Neal coached at Southern Illinois from 2001-03 and started his coaching career at Miami in 2000, when the RedHawks went 40-23 and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Neal wrapped up his playing career at Miami as a four-year letterwinner, earning 19 career victories. As a senior, he served as a team captain and was presented with the RedHawk Award. He was also named an All-American by the National Strength and Conditioning Association.
Neal, a native of West Elkton, Ohio, graduated from Miami in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in health and sport studies. He and his wife, Christine, have two sons, Silas and Beckett.
