Joe Mercadante Named as the University of North Florida's Head Baseball Coach
6/23/2023 5:21:00 PM | Baseball
The University of North Florida announced Friday afternoon that Pitt assistant coach Joe Mercadante will head back to his home state and become the fourth head baseball coach in their program's history.
"I would like thank Coach Bell, the staff, the players, and the entire University of Pittsburgh family for making the past two years such a great experience for my family and me. We are grateful for the relationships and experiences that we shared, and will continue to support the Panthers from afar!"
Mercadante has spent the last two seasons as one of Pitt's assistant coaches. He has primarily worked with outfielders and has aided fellow assistant coach, Ty Megahee, in both recruiting and offensive efforts.
During the past two seasons Mercadante has helped the Panthers continue their recent success. He has helped Pitt to 54 wins during his tenure in addition to three wins in their back-to-back ACC tournament appearances while he has been in the dugout.
"We are extremely excited for Coach Mercadante and his family as they embark on their new journey," said head coach Mike Bell. "Joe has proven to be a dynamic recruiter, developer of talent, and no doubt will show that he can lead UNF to a championship brand of baseball on the field & excellence off the field. We are grateful for their time here at Pitt, and look forward to following their success."
Mercadante previously spent four years at Stetson as an assistant coach, serving as the primary hitting coach while working directly with the catchers. In addition, he was named recruiting coordinator following the 2018 season.
He spent one year as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at UCF in 2012. During his one season with the Knights, Mercadante helped lead UCF to an NCAA regional championship appearance and a No. 10 national ranking during the regular season. He helped five players receive all-conference honors while three hitters were selected in the 2012 MLB Draft.
Following the 2012 season, Mercadante took over as head coach of the Central Florida Gators, ranked as one of the top travel team programs in the nation by Perfect Game. He produced three Under Armor All-Americans, three Perfect Game All-Americans and two players who went on to play for USA Baseball
Rising from a volunteer coach to an assistant, Mercadante spent seven years (2005-11) at Miami working with the Hurricanes' hitters and defensively with the catchers in addition to scheduling games and assisting in recruiting efforts. During that time, he helped the squad make seven-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, which included four regional championships (2005, '06, '08, '10) and two College World Series appearances (2006, '08).
Out of high school, Mercadante attended Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton, Ala., and helped lead the team to a JUCO Regional title and a berth in the Junior College World Series. He then transferred to Delgado Junior College in New Orleans for his sophomore season. Mercadante arrived at the University of Florida in 2002 and hit .471 in a reserve role for the Gators, he would graduate a bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Sciences in 2003.