KU BASEBALL CAMP COACHING STAFF

DAN FITZGERALD

Head Coach

NameDan Fitzgerald, an elite recruiter, player developer, coach and ascending figure in college baseball, was named the Kansas Baseball Head Coach on June 15, 2022. Fitzgerald completed his first season with the Jayhawks in 2023.

In his first year directing the program, Kansas doubled its conference win total and improved its overall win total by five games. The Jayhawks qualified for the Big 12 Championship for the first time since 2021 and won its first game in the tournament since 2019, knocking off No. 1 Texas.

Offensively, Kansas tied the program record with 75 home runs in 2023, with four players hitting at least 10 home runs for the first time since 2003. The Jayhawks also posted their highest batting average and most hits since 2014, while they also tallied their most doubles, runs and RBIs since 2010.

On the mound, Kansas lowered its ERA by 1.75 runs per game from 2022 to 2023. Defensively, Kansas tied for first in the Big 12 with 46 double plays turned during the regular season. That also ranked 25th in the nation.

In November 2022, less than five months after Fitzgerald and his staff were hired, they assembled the No. 1 JUCO recruiting class. The No. 1 ranking by Perfect Game was the Jayhawks’ first-ever top ranked recruiting class.

Fitzgerald arrived at Kansas following one year at LSU in 2022, where he served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, helping lead the Tigers to a 40-win season and an NCAA Regional final appearance. His time in Baton Rouge was preceded by a successful nine-year tenure at Dallas Baptist as both an assistant coach, associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.

At DBU, Fitzgerald had a major hand in bringing unprecedented success to the Patriots program. In his nine seasons with the program, Dallas Baptist played in seven NCAA Regionals, won three regular-season conference championships and won three conference tournaments.

Fitzgerald came to Lawrence with a sterling reputation in player development and recruiting, along with deep Midwestern ties, having served as a head coach at Des Moines Area Community College for five seasons and spending five seasons as an assistant in the region.

During his nine seasons at Dallas Baptist (2012-21), Fitzgerald played a major role in the Patriots developing and recruiting some of the top talent in the country. He helped recruit and develop 44 Major League Baseball Draft picks, 15 of those being Top-10 picks, nine All-Americans, eight freshman All-Americans, 78 all-conference selections and two conference players of the year.

Dallas Baptist tallied 270 victories from 2015-21, which was the fifth-most by a Division I baseball program during that span. The Patriots, known best for their explosive offense, ranked in the top 25 nationally in home runs in each season during Fitzgerald’s time at Dallas Baptist. The team held a top 25 ranking in a total of 51 offensive categories across his nine seasons.

With the Patriots proving to be one of the top programs nationally, Fitzgerald was promoted from assistant coach to associate head coach in June 2016. Dallas Baptist posted a 341-168 (.670) record during his tenure with six seasons of at least 40 wins. Fitzgerald helped land some of the top prep players nationally, by being able to recruit throughout the country, thanks to his trusted relationships and proven track record, which he now brings to Kansas.

Fitzgerald has earned respect among his peers. In a survey of 90 head coaches conducted by Baseball America in 2020, Fitzgerald was rated No. 7 on a list of assistant coaches from across the nation that will one day make the best head coach. Baseball America also rated Fitzgerald as the No. 7 assistant coach in the nation in 2018, while D1Baseball ranked him as the 17th-best recruiter in the country in 2016.

Prior to his time at LSU and Dallas Baptist, Fitzgerald was the head coach at Des Moines Area Community College (2008-12). In his five years at DMACC, Fitzgerald was awarded Coach of the Year honors by 13 different publications. His team’s won five consecutive conference championships and advanced to the Junior College World Series on four separate occasions.

Fitzgerald also had 36 players sign with Division I programs, nine student-athletes be named Junior College All-Americans, including the 2009 National Player of the Year. His program finished with at least 40 wins in every season and compiled a 249-73 (.773) record over the five-year stretch.

Fitzgerald’s coaching career began in 2000 at Iowa as a volunteer assistant coach. He then interned with the Minnesota Twins scouting department (2002) before returning to coaching as an assistant at North Iowa Area Community College (2003-04), Flagler College (2005-06) and Des Moines Area Community College (2007-08).

In addition to coaching at schools, Fitzgerald has spent time as a head coach in top summer leagues around the country. That includes a stint in 2004 as the Field Manager for Athletes in Action in Alaska, the sport ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ.

A native of Edina, Minnesota, Fitzgerald attended and played baseball at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin-River Falls before graduating with a degree in English from the University of Minnesota in 2000. Most recently, he earned a Masters of Education in Kinesiology from Dallas Baptist in 2016. Fitzgerald and his wife, Kelly, have three sons – Will, Max and Ben.

LUKE MARBACH

Camp Director/Director of Baseball Operations

nameLuke Marbach joined the Kansas baseball staff in December 2023. Marbach will handle daily operating functions within the program, coordinate, market and administer summer camps, manage departmental activities, social media, outreach to alumni and boosters, assist with on-campus recruiting events, and will be responsible for organizing, budgeting, and coordinating team travel and scheduling.

Marbach came to Kansas after spending the last two years at Abilene Christian in various roles. Marbach served as the director of baseball operations at Abilene Christian from Aug. 2022 to Nov. 2023 and the director of player development from Aug. 2021 to Sept. 2022.

Prior to being hired at Abilene Christian, Marbach played five seasons at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Playing at first base, Marbach was named to the All-Southland Third Team and earned a spot on the Southland All-Defensive Team in 2021. He also received Southland All-Academic First Team honors in 2021 and was a Southland All-Academic Second Team selection in 2019.

A native of New Braunfels, Texas, Marbach graduated from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2020 and his MBA in 2021.

RYAN HOLLAND

Camp Coordinator/Director of Operations

nameRyan Holland joined the Kansas baseball staff full time in December 2023. Holland started as a graduate assistant in August 2022 before becoming a full-time member of the staff.

Holland is responsible for creating and helping prepare scouting reports during the season and oversees the analytics efforts when it comes to video and data to help individualize our player development plans. He also is in charge of all baseball related technology.

Prior to coming to Kansas, Holland was an analytics manager as a graduate student at LSU for three seasons (2020-22). LSU made it to a super regional in 2021 and played in a regional in 2022.

Holland volunteered with the Ole Miss baseball team as a student manager for the 2019 season while he was an undergraduate student. The Rebels played in a super regional that season.

A native of Oxford, Mississippi, Holland graduated from Ole Miss in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, and received a master’s degree in applied statistics from LSU in 2021.

Holland resides in Lawrence with his wife, Maddie.

SCOTT JUNCK

Camp Coordinator/GA Manager

nameScott Junck joined the Kansas Baseball staff in January 2024, serving as Graduate Assistant Manager. Junck is responsible for working with the KU manager program in addition to assisting with analytics and technology.

Scott was previously on staff at South Dakota State University in the Fall of 2023. Prior to that he was head manager for two years for the University of Iowa Baseball program, serving four years total in their manager program. A native of Ames, Iowa, Junck graduated from the University of Iowa in May of 2023 with a bachelors degree in Sport and Recreation Management.




TYLER HANCOCK

Assistant Coach/Hitting Coach

NameTyler Hancock joined the Kansas baseball staff as a Volunteer Assistant Coach/Hitting Coach in June 2022. Hancock came to Kansas after two seasons as an Assistant Coach at California Baptist University where he served as the recruiting coordinator and worked with catchers, infielders and outfielders. During his two years at CBU, the program went 76-36 with a 47-19 mark in conference. They also won a share of the 2021 Western Athletic Conference regular season title with a 29-7 league record. 

Fourteen CBU players earned All-WAC honors over the past two seasons under Hancock’s tutelage, including Damon Keith being named the WAC Player of the Year in 2021 and Harrison Spohn receiving WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, while also leading the conference in doubles. During Hancock’s tenure as hitting coach, the 2022 Lancers led the WAC in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The Lancers’ batting average ranked third in the nation. 

Before CBU, Hancock was a Volunteer Assistant Coach at Dallas Baptist for one season (2020), an Assistant Coach for three seasons at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville (2017-19), a Volunteer Assistant Coach at Southern Illinois for two seasons (2015-16), an Assistant Coach for one season at Cowley County Community College (2014) and a student coach at Newman University (2013). During the summer of 2015, Hancock also worked on the staff of the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League, a team which included 19 players that were drafted by Major League organizations.

A native of Washington, Oklahoma, Hancock earned an associate’s degree from Cowley County Community College in 2010 before graduating with a bachelor of arts in sports communication and a minor in pre-law from Newman University in 2013. In 2016, Hancock received a master’s of education in sport management from Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Tyler, and his wife, Natalie, have one son, Tucker, and one daughter, Josie.

Hancock’s Coaching Career Highlights

BRANDON SCOTT

Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach

NameBrandon Scott joined the Kansas baseball staff in June 2022. Scott came to Kansas after spending the previous six seasons at Southern Illinois-Edwardsville as the Recruiting Coordinator/Pitching Coach. His pitching staff lowered its team ERA in each of his first four full seasons with the Cougars. Since SIUE moved to the Division I level in 2009, Scott’s group set a new season team record for opponent strikeouts in both 2018 and 2019. Prior to the cancelation of the 2020 season, SIUE ranked sixth in the nation in strikeouts per nine innings pitched.

Fourteen CBU players earned All-WAC honors over the past two seasons under Hancock’s tutelage, including Damon Keith being named the WAC Player of the Year in 2021 and Harrison Spohn receiving WAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022, while also leading the conference in doubles. During Hancock’s tenure as hitting coach, the 2022 Lancers led the WAC in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The Lancers’ batting average ranked third in the nation. 

Scott also held the title of Recruiting Coordinator/Pitching Coach at both Wabash Valley College (2014-16) and Des Moines Area Community College (2007-10) as well as Volunteer Assistant at Eastern Kentucky (2006-07). Head Coach Dan Fitzgerald and Scott worked on the same staff at DMACC from 2007 to 2010.

In 2015, Wabash Valley claimed the Region XXIV championship while finishing the season 47-13. Scott’s pitching staff finished the year with a 2.40 team ERA, while recording 506 strikeouts in 465 innings of work. In Scott’s time at Wabash Valley, 19 pitchers continued playing at a higher level as eight pitchers from the 2016 team moved on to NCAA Division I schools, and 11 pitchers moved on to the Division I level following the 2015 season.

During his tenure at Des Moines Area Community College, the team advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association Division II World Series in 2008 and 2009. Scott recruited and coached 13 players who were selected in the MLB Draft and 24 who signed with Division I institutions.

A native of Henderson, Kentucky, Scott earned his associate’s degree from Wabash Valley College in 2002 and his bachelor’s degree in general studies from Eastern Kentucky University in 2006. Scott played two seasons at Wabash Valley College in 2001-02 and two seasons at Eastern Kentucky in 2003-04. Scott, and his wife, Denise, have one daughter, Reese.

Scott’s Coaching Career Highlights

JON COYNE

Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator

NameJon Coyne joined the Kansas baseball staff as in June 2022. Coyne arrived at Kansas following four seasons at University of New Mexico as the Infield Coach/Recruiting Coordinator. He was also responsible for working directly with the hitters where his team’s batting average was at least .285 every year.

Coyne’s recruiting efforts resulted in the highest ranked high school class in program history in 2020 as the group was ranked 33rd by Perfect Game on signing day. His JUCO signing classes also received high marks by Perfect Game as the 2022 class was ranked No. 20 and the 2020 class came in at No. 22.

Prior to New Mexico, Coyne was Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at Howard College for two seasons (2017-18) and Cisco College for two seasons (2015-16). He also spent time as a volunteer assistant at Wichita State (2013-14) and University of Texas – Pan American (fall of 2012).

While at Howard, Coyne helped develop 38 players that transferred to Division I programs and had four players selected in the MLB Draft. Howard helped the team post a 71-42 overall record and made regional appearances in each of his two seasons at Howard. In 2018, Howard led all NJCAA programs in home runs with 131.

Coyne’s two seasons at Cisco were highlighted by an appearance in the 2016 NJCAA World Series and an NJCAA Region V Championship that year. Cisco had a 90-30 record and made regional appearances in both of his seasons. Coyne assisted in sending 41 student-athletes to Division I schools and had 11 players picked in the MLB Draft.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Coyne played collegiately at El Paso Community College (2008-09) and at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (2010). He graduated in 2012 from University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Arts in General Studies.

Coyne’s Coaching Career Highlights

 

 



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