University of San Francisco Director of Athletics Scott Sidwell has announced the signing of head baseball coach Nino Giarratano to a five-year extension that will keep Giarratano at the helm through the 2022 season.
“We are looking forward to many years of competitive success with Coach Giarratano as our head coach,” Sidwell said. “We have worked hard over the past few years to provide our program with the new facility, enhanced operational budgets, top notch equipment, and administrative support necessary to compete on the national level for the foreseeable future. Nino’s tenure with USF has produced great alumni that represent our University in many positive ways. We believe we now have everything in place to take our program to the next level and annually compete for WCC championships, NCAA berths, and aspire to get to Omaha for the College World Series.”
Giarratano is set to begin his 19th year on the Hilltop when USF opens the season February 17th against Northern Colorado. During his time at USF, Giarratano has amassed a record of 502-518-1, which is the most wins of any coach in USF baseball history. He has been named the Western Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2011. His 502 wins are the third most in WCC history and second amongst active coaches. In 2006, Giarratano led the Dons to a milestone by winning a program-record 39 games and claiming the team’s first WCC championship when they were co-champions with Pepperdine. In 2011 the Dons won the WCC again but this edition of the team won the program’s first outright WCC title.
“It’s very exciting,” Giarratano said. “USF has been a wonderful place for not only me and my family, but for all the former players who have played for me. It gives me a great opportunity to continue to build and finish the new facility and bring in the new recruiting classes that can hopefully take on the hard work and pride that was established before them. I’m really excited about the opportunity to continue to coach and be a part of such wonderful community and University.”
During his tenure, USF has had 44 All-WCC first team players, two WCC players of the year, three WCC defensive players of the year and a WCC pitcher of the year. As far as advancing the careers of his players, he has seen 45 Dons drafted by Major League Baseball teams including 10 in the first three rounds.
In addition to his program’s success on the field, Giarratano’s teams have also boasted superior academic performance. The 2004, 2006, 2007 and 2009 squads set a then-school record by having four players selected to the All-WCC Academic Team. In 2014, the team set a new record by having six student-athletes named to the WCC All-Academic Team. The team had 14 student-athletes earn WCC Commissioner’s Honor Roll selections in 2003 and 2007, also a school record.
