TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State baseball head coach Mike Martin announced the promotion of Clyde Keller to assistant coach Thursday, rounding out the full-time coaching staff for the 2019 season. Keller, a 1990 Florida State graduate, played under Martin in 1988 and 1989 and has been the Seminoles’ volunteer assistant coach the past three seasons.
Keller replaces Mike Bell, who was named head coach at Pitt after seven seasons as the Noles pitching coach.
“With the experience that Clyde received from Mike Bell, and his past experiences as a pitching coach at a Division I school and in professional baseball, it was an easy choice for us,” Martin said. “Having been our volunteer coach for three years, we feel very fortunate to be able to elevate him to this position.”
“I’m very grateful to Coach Martin for this amazing opportunity,” Keller said. “As a data-driven guy, I’m excited for the chance to implement new technology in our pitching development and continue the success that Mike Bell cultivated.”
Keller was previously a pitching coach in the Toronto Blue Jays organization as well as the pitching coach/recruiting coordinator at Western Kentucky University. In his four years at WKU, Keller guided the Hilltoppers staff from 125th in the country to the 25th-best earned run average.
Keller was a JUCO All American at Sacramento City College where he went 28-2 on the mound. He was also a member of Team USA and an all-Metro Conference pitcher for the Seminoles in 1988 and 1989, leading FSU to the College World Series in 1989 and once playing all nine positions in a game against Mercer. Keller spent five years in the minor leagues, throwing a no-hitter for the Savannah Cardinals and twice finished runner-up as the Minor League Reliever of the Year.
Off the field, Keller is the author of three books on the fundamentals of baseball: The Red Book of Pitching, Combating Gorilla Baseball and Small Ball Tactics.
Keller joins Mike Martin (40th season) and Mike Martin, Jr. (22nd season) on the Florida State coaching staff. He is married to Kristen and has three boys: Casey, Kenny and Coy.
