COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou Baseball has added veteran coach Fred Corral to its coaching staff, announced Tuesday by head coach Steve Bieser. One of the most experienced and sought-after pitching coaches in the country, Corral brings with him nearly a quarter century of coaching experience after a successful career in both college and professional baseball. Corral brings a ‘no-limits’ approach to coaching with a tireless work ethic, and stood out to Coach Bieser due to his incredible ability to develop young men, both on and off the baseball diamond.
“Fred is not only a great pitching coach who has a wealth of knowledge and passion, Fred is a developer of men,” Bieser said. “Going through the process and talking to former players and coaches, the one thing that kept standing out to me was his commitment to developing the entire person. Fred personifies the Mizzou baseball motto “commit to excellence”. His commitment to academic excellence, athletic excellence, and social development was very evident through the interviewing process. Fred has a great reputation for developing players. He uses a holistic approach of both the mental and physical side of the game. I am excited to welcome the Corral’s to the Mizzou baseball family.”
With 24 years of coaching experience across all levels of baseball, 11 of those years have come in the Southeastern Conference with three coming in professional baseball. He spent the last five seasons at fellow SEC East foe Georgia, coaching 12 pitchers to MLB Draft selections, including 2016 first-round pick Robert Tyler (38thoverall to Colorado). He coached Tyler to a 2.68 ERA as a freshman in 2014, the lowest ERA by a UGA pitcher in 10 years. The highlight of his coaching tenure at Georgia came last season when the Bulldog staff limited batters to a .241 average, resetting the program record.
“First, I want to take the time and say how excited I am to be working with Coach Bieser and a guy like Evan Pratte, who I have known for a long time,” Corral said. “I am excited to get to know Lance Rhodes and Dillon Lawson as they are two incredible young coaches and I can’t wait to get after it with those guys. I am so fortunate to be surrounded by such a talented group of guys.
“Everything about the hiring process went by so quickly, but the one thing that stands out is that when I arrived in Columbia, I was looking for a job. After my interview, I found myself really fighting for the job in hopes of getting a chance to work with Coach Bieser and his staff. I really believe in what he is doing at Mizzou and I am blessed to have this opportunity and can’t wait to get to work.”
Before his time at Georgia, Corral helped Memphis to arguably its best four-year stretch on the mound in program history. His 2013 team posted a 3.05 staff ERA, the lowest by a Memphis team since 1976 while striking out more than 400 batters in three of four seasons, including a school-record 462 in 2010. He also mentored a pair of first-time draftees while at Memphis, including Conference USA Pitcher of the Year Dan Schoenrock in 2013.
Corral’s roots in the SEC run much deeper than his most recent time at Georgia. He coached at Tennessee in two different stints from 2002-04 and 2007-09. During Corral’s first run at Tennessee, the Volunteers’ pitching staff ranked among the best in the SEC. His staffs posted consecutive sub-3.90 ERAs, and UT’s 3.51 ERA in 2004 was the 13th-best in the nation. The 2004 Volunteer staff recorded the fifth-most strikeouts in school history and held opponents to a .243 batting average, which was UT’s lowest mark in nine seasons. Tennessee also had three pitchers in 2004 with ERAs that ranked among the top-12 in the SEC. Four of Corral’s pitchers at Tennessee were selected in the MLB draft. He signed James Adkins and coached Luke Hochevar, hurlers who rank first and third on UT’s all-time strikeouts list. Hochevar was the No. 1 overall pick by the Kansas City Royals in 2006. Corral’s former pupils who have reached the Major Leagues include Matt Riley, Adam Bernero, Mike Neu, Joe Horgan, Daniel McCutchen, Garrett Richards, Charlie Zink and Hochevar.
Corral is no stranger to professional baseball either, having served as a pitching instructor in both the Los Angeles Dodgers (2000-01) and Montreal Expos (1999) organizations.
As a player, Corral was a first-team All-Pac-10 selection as a LHP at Cal in 1987. The Golden Bears’ eighth 10-game winner, Corral set a school record for single-season win-loss percentage with a perfect 10-0 record as a junior in 1987. The southpaw added five saves and a 3.75 ERA in en-route to earning the team’s Most Valuable Pitcher honor. Corral helped lead the Golden Bears to their fourth College World Series appearance in 1988. He finished his two-year Bear career with a 13-5 mark, a 4.50 ERA and six saves. Corral starred at San Joaquin Delta Junior College where he garnered All-Camino Notre Conference honors in 1985 and 1986 before transferring to Cal.
Corral is married to the former Cynthia Drost, of Ripon, Calif., and they have three children, Kaitlyn Joy (16), Justin Jerome (12) and Jordan Patrick (5). Also, they raised two nieces, Marisa (26) and Chelsea (23), and two nephews, Michael (28) and Robert (22).
THE CORRAL FILE
- Present: Pitching Coach – University of Missouri
- 2013-2017: Pitching Coach – University of Georgia
- 2009-2012: Associate Head Coach/Pitching Coach – University of Memphis
- 2007-2009: Assistant Coach – University of Tennessee
- 2005-07: Assistant Coach – University of Oklahoma
- 2002-04: Assistant Coach – University of Tennessee
- 1995-2002: Assistant Coach – Sacramento City College
- 2000-01: Pitching Coach – Los Angeles Dodgers
- 1999: Pitching Coach – Montreal Expos
- 1993-95: Assistant Coach – San Joaquin Delta College
- 1994: Coach – Major League Baseball International
- Has had 77 pitchers drafted under his tutelage
- 14 in the top 10 rounds
- Eight MLB pitchers
- As a Player:
- San Joaquin Delta College, 1985-86
- All-Camino Notre Conference 1985-86
- California, Berkeley, 1987-88
- All-Pac-10 Pitcher, 1987, College World Series, 1988
- Born: April 19, 1966
- High School: Ripon (Calif.), 1984
- College: San Joaquin Delta College, Associate Degree, 1986; Sacramento State, B.A. in Sociology, 1998
- Family: Wife: Cynthia; Children: Kaitlyn Joy (16), Justin Jerome (12), Jordan Patrick (5)
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT FRED CORRAL
“I am a long time head coach at just about every level and I am a pitching guy. I spend a lot of time with the pitchers and I am very particular about who interfaces with the pitchers. Fred Corral worked for me at Sacramento City College and later with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was the only guy in all those years who I trusted to work full-time with our pitchers. Why? He has passion for the craft. He is a life-long learner and has the best information. He is a caring individual who engenders trust from all with whom he comes into contact. No hidden agendas. It’s all about helping you become the best you can be. He’s one of the most loyal people I’ve ever known.”
-Jerry Weinstein, ABCA Hall of Fame & current AA Manager Colorado Rockies
“I have covered college baseball for the past 47 years, and Fred Corral is unquestionably one of the elite pitching coaches in the game. He is one of those rare coaches who is able to mold velocity improvement, precision strike throwing and mental toughness with each pitcher he has. His system for pitching has paid off every stop of his career. He also is a superb recruiter. If I were a General Manager in professional baseball or head baseball coach in college, Fred would be the man I would trust my pitching staff with. His No. 1 trait is his passion for excellence in every phase of life, and this is passed on to his players who not only become great pitchers but tremendous members of society when they move on and become great parents. I have followed this man for over 20 years, and he is the rare person who is a servant/leader similar to John Wooden in basketball. He has a caring mind set toward his athletes, and it is why this father figure cements relationships for life.”
— Lou Pavlovich/Editor, Collegiate Baseball Newspaper
“I have known Fred Corral for over 20 years. Fred’s cumulative experiences at the Junior College, Division I, and Professional levels allow him to be qualified for any pitching job in the country. His ability to combine a growth mindset towards training with an old school approach to competing will always keep him at the forefront of the industry. The depth of his knowledge in all facets of pitching is nothing short of world-class. Fred’s knowledge of pitching is secondary to the commitment and loyalty that he demonstrates towards his pitchers.
-Andy McKay, Director of Player Development, Seattle Mariners
“I have known and competed against Fred Corral and his pitching staffs for the last fifteen years. Fred’s staffs have always been incredibly competitive and very well prepared to run off a game plan. They do not make mistakes and have always given limited opportunities to score. Fred Corral, in my opinion, is not only one of the top pitching coaches in the country but also one of the finest men I know in our sport.”
-Rob Childress, Head Coach Texas A&M
“I have known Fred Corral since his start at the University of Tennessee and have followed as well as assisted in his coaching path. In expressing my thoughts on Fred, I would like to simply state that if I came out of retirement today and had to construct my coaching staff, Fred Corral would be at the top of my list for the position of Pitching Coach.”
– Ron Polk – Mississippi State Coaching Legend and ABCA Hall of Fame
“Fred is one of the most dynamic pitching coaches in the country. He understands mechanics, the mental game, and the physical preparation to become an elite pitcher at the college level. His experience of being around some of the smartest baseball people are major attributes when you are dealing with young men, trying to improve them each day, helping build them to last, and to have a long career in baseball. He has a great reputation for player development and health care, two major characteristics of a college coach.”
– John Savage, Head Coach UCLA Baseball
“Fred Corral is simply one of the best pitching coaches in the country. His ability to take information from tons of sources and distill it down into actionable work for the young men that he leads is among the game’s elite at any level – college or pro. In my opinion, there are very few people who have both the highest levels of integrity and the highest desire to seek knowledge – Fred is very comfortably in that group for me.”
-Kyle Boddy, Founder of Driveline Baseball
“I have had the opportunity to watch Fred Corral coach over the last few years. Whether it is giving a talk in a clinic setting, grinding it out on the recruiting trail or coaching against him from the other dugout, the love of pitching and the game itself is evident. I have come to admire and respect the passion that he brings to teaching pitching and in the development of pitchers. His openness to explore new ideas without getting away from his core beliefs is uplifting and energizing to a fellow coach in the profession. The commitment, passion and energy he brings to the craft of pitching and his commitment to his players is inspiring. I believe Fred is a true asset to our industry.”
-Alan Dunn, Associate Head Coach/Pitching Coach, LSU
“Fred Corral is the entire package when I think of a man and a pitching coach. Fred has established a foot hold in being an innovator and leader at the college and professional ranks. Fred continues to be the greatest pitching coach I have ever been around and he is a really big reason for what I have been able to accomplish in this great game. Not only does he take a common sense to pitching that can relate to any youth or pro but understands the values of inspiring and molding good young men. Fred is second to none and with the values he stands by, he completes the entire package.”
– Luke Hochevar, 2006 No. 1 overall pick by KC Royals & 2015 World Series Champion
“One of the best developers of not only pitchers but young men with belief, good teammates, warriors, and players who learn to “own” their preparation and performance. I witness firsthand as Fred coached my pitching staff from 2010-2013. He will think outside of the box and challenges himself to be better every day as he looks for ways to individually coach each young man under his watch. The “buy in” these college athletes exemplified was incredible and he personally elevated each guy to new heights. I can give no better testimony than to say he transformed my own son from an inconsistent, seldom used college freshmen into the 2013 Conference USA Pitcher of The Year and 11th round draft pick of the San Diego Padres. Fred will stay current by exploring new teaching methods, but will always stay true to his core beliefs that have been tremendously successful through his years of experience at the highest level of college baseball. His work ethic is unequaled in the field and his ability to elevate those around is incredible. Fred made me a better head coach and touched at lot of lives in his time at Memphis.”
-Daron Schoenrock, Head Coach, University of Memphis
“Fred Corral first and most importantly is a great man, husband, father and friend. Fred sets a Christian example for all of those around him, especially his players. Fred is not only a great pitching coach, he is an exceptional builder of men. I have personally known Fred since 2002 and can tell you two things: 1.) anytime I was on the road recruiting and ran into Fred, it not only brightened my day but I knew I was in the right place because he is a master recruiter. 2.) My hitters, be it at Arkansas or A&M, dreaded seeing Fred Corral and his pitching staffs come to town. You knew you were in for a long, grind-it-out weekend. Facing one future big leaguer after another who all have a plan and know how to execute it is not fun. Hats off to Fred for that.”
-Matt Deggs, Head Coach, Sam Houston State
“Passion is defined as ‘strong and barely controllable desire.’ My personal definition is ‘Coach Corral.’ Any pitching coach can print off statistics, provide scouting reports, teach changeup grips, come up with the ‘miracle’ throwing program; however, the big separator for me, is how they go about doing it. Coach Corral has a relentless passion to make each one of his players better every day. (This left handed maniac caught my bullpens with a right handed catcher’s mitt still on his right hand.) His diverse background of working with junior college pitchers to MLB all-stars has given him experience for every situation. I currently have the luxury of living out my dream as a professional pitcher in the Atlanta Braves Organization. Don’t get me wrong, I still remember ‘balls in play have a 68% chance of being an out,’ the change up grip I still use, and many of his throwing programs named after war generals. However, I am not where I am because of those things. I am here today because Coach Corral gave me a new definition of passion. One that has transformed my career and life outside of baseball. I couldn’t have asked for a better man to call Coach.”
– Sean McLaughlin, 2015 UGA pitcher, current Atlanta Braves Prospect
