FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
NORMAN, Okla. – University of Oklahoma head baseball coach Pete Hughes has named Jamie Pinzino as the program’s new assistant baseball and pitching coach. Pinzino, a 12-year veteran in the collegiate ranks and seven-year head coach, comes to Norman after a one-year stint as head coach at William & Mary, preceded by one year as an assistant for the Tribe.
“We are excited about Jamie, Cheryl and baby Henry joining our Sooner family,” stated Hughes. “With Jamie, we have one of the top young head coaches in the country joining our staff.”
“I am honored and thankful to have this opportunity,” said Pinzino. “To coach at Oklahoma is to have the chance to work with some of the best players in the country and compete for a National Championship every year. Coach Hughes is a proven winner and I look forward to the chance to work with him and the rest of the Sooner staff and players. I am eager to get started with practice, and to see what we can accomplish in the next few seasons.”
Oklahoma enters a new era after a 43-21 season that saw the Sooners reach the NCAA Super Regional. OU is coming off a Big 12 Tournament Championship as well as a NCAA Blacksburg Regional Championship.
“Jamie has won wherever he has been and his track record for developing successful pitching staffs speaks for itself,” continued Hughes. “He will be a great resource to both our players and staff. This is a great day for our program. We just hired a great coach and a great person.”
In his one season at the helm of William & Mary, Pinzino led the Tribe to a school-record 39 wins, a trip to the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament and was named the Co-CAA Coach of the Year. William & Mary knocked off No. 21 Mississippi twice in the Raleigh Regional before being knocked out by No. 7 North Carolina State in the Regional Final. The Tribe posted an overall record of 39-24 and 17-10 in the Colonial Athletic Association, along with an appearance in the CAA Championship Game.
“I would also like to thank Terry Driscoll and the administration at William and Mary for the opportunity to coach in Williamsburg for the last 2 seasons,” stated Pinzino. “I truly enjoyed my time there and wish Coach Murphy, his staff, and the Tribe players continued success in the future.”
Pinzino was hired as the head coach at William & Mary following one season as an assistant coach with the program in 2012, helping the Tribe to a 31-25 season. As the pitching coach, his staff led the CAA in earned run average (3.01), opponent batting average (.245), while allowing the fewest hits (445) and walks (126). The team-ERA also ranked 13th in the nation. Under Pizino’s tutelage, Matt Davenport earned CAA Pitcher of the Year and was named First Team All-East Region, while also being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 34th Round of the MLB First-Year Draft.
Pinzino also spent the 2011 season as an assistant at Northeastern University. In one season with the Huskies, Pinzino saw three of his starting pitchers taken in the MLB Draft; Les Williams (Toronto, 37th), Brandon McNeils (Los Angeles-Anaheim, 41st) and Drew Leenhouts (Florida, 43rd).
Previously, Pinzino was the head coach at Bryant University from 2006-2010. In his five seasons at Bryant, the Bulldogs registered a 162-122 record, while transitioning from the Division II Northeast-10 to the Division I Northeast Conference; ultimately claiming the NEC Regular Season Championship in 2010 with a 29-7 league record and the NEC Coach of the Year award. He was named the Northeast-10 Coach of the Year in 2007 as he led Bryant to its first of two NCAA Division II Regional Finals. The Bulldogs posted a program-best 43 wins in 2008 as they won the league’s regular season title.
Pinzino made his head coaching debut at Assumption in 2005 with an 11-28 mark. Overall, he owns a 212-174 career record in seven years as a head coach at the Division I and II levels.
Prior to taking over at Assumption, Pinzino served as an assistant coach at Division III Tufts (2003-2004), Holy Cross (2002) and Division III Pomona-Pitzer (1998).
Pinzino is a 1997 graduate of Tufts University with a bachelor’s degree in history and later earned a master’s degree from the school of education in educational studies during his assistant coaching stint with the Jumbos. He was a four-year letterwinner at Tufts, helping the Jumbos win three ECAC Championships. In 1995, Tufts reached the NCAA Division III Regional as the No. 2 seed. Pinzino was the Tufts Baseball Elias Award recipient for hard work and dedication in 1997.
Pinzino is married to Cheryl Milligan, the head softball coach at Tufts. She has led the Jumbos to four NESCAC championships and won its second NCAA Division III Regional crown under her direction in 2012. The couple welcomed its first child Henry in August.
