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2008 United States National Collegiate Team Assistant Coach - Gold Medal USF head baseball coach Nino Giarratano prepares for his 12th year on the Hilltop after guiding the Dons to the most wins in a five-year stretch in program history. Since 2005, USF owns a 163-123 (.570) record, highlighted by the first back-to-back 30-plus win seasons in school history in 2005-06. Giarratano guided the Dons to a share of third place in the demanding West Coast Conference in 2009, with just two games separating first and third place. USF just missed returning to the 30 win mark at 28-28, but owned a winning conference record at 12-9. REACHING A MILESTONE Giarratano entered the 2009 campaign with 280 victories at USF, needing just 20 wins to reach a milestone. On April 24, 2009, the Dons gave Giarratano his 300th victory in style as they shutout Bay Area rival San Jose State 10-0 at Benedetti Diamond. Giarratano is just the third coach in Dons athletics history to surpass 300 victories on the Hilltop and joins NSCAA Hall-of-Famer Steve Negoesco (544) and baseball legend Dante Benedetti (373) in the 300 victory club. All previous Dons mentors to reach 300 career wins played and graduated from the University of San Francisco. With 28 wins in 2009, Giarratano sits at 308 wins at USF and counting. Overall, he now has 618 collegiate victories, which includes the junior college level. Among all-time West Coast Conference coaches, he is currently ninth in overall wins, 21 games behind 8th place Frank Cruz (LMU) and he overtook Pepperdine's Andy Lopez in conference wins (143). He is just seven games back from Frank Sanchez and Wayne Lopez (both of Pepperdine) in eighth. 2008 SUMMER Over the summer of 2008, Giarratano helped lead the U.S. Collegiate National Team to a 24-0 record and a gold medal in the FISU World Championships in the Czech Republic. As an assistant coach, Giarratano traveled with the team through several eastern States, the Netherlands, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Giarratano coached the offense and the team finished with a .265 batting average, 209 hits (36 doubles, five triples, and 25 homeruns), 138 RBI, and 150 runs scored. For some perspective, Team USA's opponents batted .154 with 16 doubles, one triple, and one homerun. DIAMOND DONS BREAK THROUGH Giarratano directed the Dons to the best season in program history in 2006. San Francisco captured the program's first WCC Championship and NCAA Regional berth and set a program wins record with 39. After guiding the Dons to only the second runner-up WCC showing in 2005, the Dons responded in 2006 by winning seven games against top-25 opponents, including the first ever road series victory over Pepperdine, eight wins against 2006 NCAA Regional participants and a school record 19 road victories. The Dons led the league in pitching for the second straight season, posting a 2.69 ERA during WCC games. After propelling the Dons to the first league title, Giarratano was selected by his peers as WCC Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, joining current men's soccer coach Erik Visser as the only Dons mentor to win coaching accolades in back-to-back years since the 1960's. Giarratano is only the second baseball coach in school history to win the honor and first since USF Hall-of-Famer Dante Benedetti won it in 1971 following one of just two second place league finishes. BUILDING A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE ON THE HILLTOP A proven recruiter, Giarratano continues to shape the Dons into a force to be reckoned with on the West Coast and in the WCC. During his tenure on the Hilltop, 29 players have signed professional contracts, including a program record of four drafted in the 2004 and 2008 Major League Draft. In addition, 23 players have earned First Team All-WCC honors, while an additional 11 players have earned second team all-league selection, and one earned WCC Defensive Player of the Year. Giarratano is committed to excellence in the classroom and 28 have earned All-WCC Academic selection, including a program record four in 2004, 2006-2007, and 2009. In addition, 69 USF baseball student-athletes were named to the WCC Honor Roll in the last six seasons. DIAMOND DONS MAKING AN IMPACT Since Giarratano's arrival on the Hilltop, USF has made steady progress in the challenging WCC schedule, posting a first place finish in 2006 and second place divisional finishes in 2003 and 2005. Multiple team records have fallen since Giarratano arrived eight years ago. The Dons led the WCC in ERA for the first time ever, posting the best mark in program history (2.86). Four program records fell in 2004, including hits (688) and pitching strikeouts (389). His 2000 club set no fewer than four offensive team records, including hits (656), doubles (127) and RBI (378). USF's pitching has never been stronger after a record setting campaign in 2005, the 2006 (3.77) and the 2001 (4.57) squads posted the three lowest team ERA's in the metal bat era. In 2008, the Diamond Dons pitching staff compiled a record 400 strikeouts. USF issued 133 walks in 2007, 141 in 2006 and 165 in 2005, easily the lowest back-to-back-to-back tallies since 1975. In the last 10 years, USF's recruits have earned three Freshman All-American honors, most recently Matt Lujan and Connor Bernatz in 2008. Two players earned All-District VIII selection (Steve Booth & Taggert Bozied) and Bozied was a three-time All-American. In 2008, the first year the award was given, Joey Railey was named WCC Best Defensive Player of the Year. DIAMOND DONS ENTERING PROFESSIONAL RANKS USF made more history in 2007 when LHP Aaron Poreda became the first Diamond Don selected in the first round (25th overall) of the Major League Baseball Draft. History was repeated as the Dons had back-to-back first round selections when LHP Evan Fredrickson went 35th overall in 2008. After the 2009 season, two Dons were drafted. Junior shortstop Derek Poppert was taken in the 23rd round by the Cincinnati Reds and junior catcher Ryan Lipkin went in the 43rd round to the Oakland Athletics. In 2008, a school record five Diamond Dons were drafted. Following Poreda, RHP Daniel Morales went to the Cleveland Indians in the 14th round. Outfielder Luke Sommer was taken by the Chicago Cubs in the 30th round. Two more Dons went in consecutive rounds with 3B Brian Chavez going to the New York Yankees in the 32nd round and RHP John Quine heading across the bay to the Oakland A's in the 33rd round. Three Dons were selected in the 2006 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, headlined by WCC Player of the Year Scott Cousins, a third round pick by Florida. WCC Co-Pitcher of the Year Patrick McGuigan was taken by Toronto in the 27th round and WCC First Teamer Stefan Gartrell was chosen by the Chicago White Sox in the 31st. In 2005, Nick Pereira was a 10th round selection by the San Francisco Giants, and T.J. Franco was tabbed in the 30th round by Oakland. Four Diamond Dons were drafted in the 2004 Major League Baseball Draft, led by Kevin Rose (Philadelphia, 23rd), and followed by Joe Jacobitz (Seattle, 25th), Armand Gaerlan (New York Mets, 28th) and Derek Tate (Toronto, 34th). USF sent two more players into the professional ranks following the 2002 campaign and boasted a player selected in the first 10 rounds of the Major League draft for the third straight season (Steve Booth, ninth round). The success in 2002 was an encore to the 2001 draft, which included three players drafted, led by pitcher Jesse Foppert, who was selected in the second round by the San Francisco Giants, becoming the highest Dons pitcher ever drafted. Bozied was selected in the third round by the San Diego Padres following three First Team All-American seasons at USF. All-WCC outfielder Jeramy Janz also signed with Arizona. Five Diamond Dons signed pro contracts in 2000, highlighted by left-hander Ian Perio, selected by Boston in the 14th round and All-WCC outfielder Danny Trumble chosen by San Francisco in the 25th round. GIARRATANO AMONG THE NATIONAL ELITE Prior to coming to USF, Giarratano spent two seasons serving as an assistant coach at Arizona State under head coach Pat Murphy. Giarratano served as hitting instructor, offensive coordinator and third base coach for the Sun Devils. During his final season in Tucson, Giarratano helped ASU reach the 1998 College World Series Championship game, and constructed a staggering offense, boasting a .318 team batting average, driving in 557 runs off 723 base hits, including 57 home runs to go along with 120 stolen bases. In 1997 the Sun Devils hit .327 with 217 extra-base hits, 54 homers, 430 RBI and posted a team slugging percentage of .497. Giarratano also served as recruiting coordinator for Arizona State and the 1996 class was ranked third in the country by Baseball America, while the 1997 class was rated second. A THREE-TIME NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR Giarratano has also had a wealth of success as a head coach in the junior college ranks, earning Collegiate Baseball's National Junior College Coach of the Year on three occasions while at Trinidad State Junior College from 1989-94. He led the Trojans to five College World Series appearances in six seasons as Trinidad State posted a 233-86 (.730) mark during his tenure. In between his posts at Trinidad State JC and Arizona State, Giarratano spent two seasons (1995-96) as the head coach at Yavapai Community College in Prescott, Arizona. He posted a 77-36 (.681) record at Yavapai in just two seasons and sent 25 players into the professional ranks. Giarratano's overall record as a junior college head coach was a sparkling 310-122 (.718). In addition to his wealth of experience at the Division I level and at the Junior College levels, Giarratano owns additional coaching experience. Giarratano coached semi-professional summer teams in both the Cape Cod and Alaskan leagues, and was a head coach at La Veta High School. He has also directed camps at both Trinidad State Junior College and Yavapai Community College, in addition to participating in numerous camps including the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals. A STRONG ACADEMIC FOCUS Giarratano compiled an impressive resume as a coach and recruiter, and has demonstrated a fierce commitment to academic as well as athletic achievement at every stop of his coaching career. The 2007 College of Arts and Sciences Valedictorian was none other than shortstop Tavo Hall, who also earned the West Coast Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year award. In 2008, the Dons recorded their highest ever team G.P.A. at 3.18. The 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2009 teams boasted a school record four All-WCC Academic Team selections and a school record 14 student-athletes earned selection to the 2003 and 2007 WCC Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.0 GPA or higher). Giarratano's assistant coaches are no strangers to the correlation between academic and athletic success. Both Greg Moore and Troy Nakamura were named to the All-WCC Academic Team during their careers in the Green and Gold. During his time in the junior college ranks, Giarratano graduated 97% of his recruited freshman athletes and sent 100% of his student-athletes into four-year universities. EXPERIENCE MATTERS After 11 years at San Francisco, Giarratano ranks second in tenure among head coaches in the West Coast Conference. San Francisco has been a picture of coaching stability and Giarratano is just the sixth head coach for the Dons since 1946. USF also boasts the most stable staff in the conference with the three assistant coaches amassing 31 years coaching the Dons and all three competed for the University of San Francisco. Pitching coach and recruiting coordinator Greg Moore finished his seventh year after spending one as a volunteer assistant, Troy Nakamura, completed his tenth season as a coach. Moore pitched three seasons under Giarratano and Nakamura was a four year letter-winner for the Diamond Dons. Volunteer Assistant Coach Jon Norfolk also played his entire career for Giarratano at USF. THE GIARRATANO FILE Giarratano received his Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education from William Jewell College in 1985. One year later, he earned a Master's Degree in Secondary Administration from Adams State. He lives in the City with his wife Brenda and their son Nico. Daughter Bianca is attending college in Arizona. |
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