| Juan Ranero returns to his
roots after 450 win in a Rowan uniform. Rowan athletics photo |
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Following an extensive search, the Eckerd College athletics department has officially named Juan Ranero, formerly of Rowan (N.J.) University, as the next head coach of the baseball program effective July 1.
Ranero guided Rowan to the NCAA D-III Mid-Atlantic regional in 2014. He led the Profs to a 33-12 record and a NJAC tournament title.
Ranero will become the 11th coach in the storied history of the
baseball program as the successor to the 24-year tenure recently
completed by Bill Mathews, who had announced the 2014 spring would
be his final season at the helm.
Ranero will leave tomorrow to lead his reigning New Jersey
Athletic Conference champion Profs (32-10, 13-5 NJAC) to the NCAA
Division III Championship Mid-Atlantic Regional in Moosic, Pa. As
the No. 2 seed, Rowan is primed for a matchup under the lights on
Wednesday against No. 7 Wesleyan (Conn.) University at PNC
Field.
"We are very pleased to welcome Juan and his family to the Eckerd
College community," said EC Director of Athletics Dr. Bob Fortosis.
"Juan is an accomplished coach and we believe he is exactly the
right man to lead our baseball program forward. He's a strong,
determined leader, he understands the unique academic priorities of
Eckerd College, and has the integrity to impact lives -- which is
what we are all about here at Eckerd."
"I would like to thank (Eckerd College President) Dr. (Donald R.)
Eastman (III) and Dr. (Bob) Fortosis for this opportunity to lead
the baseball program," added Ranero. "I'm looking forward to
continuing the successful on-and-off-the-field tradition here at
Eckerd with the student-athletes."
Ranero, also an assistant athletic director at Rowan, is in the
process of completing his 14th season before transitioning back to
familiar territory in the Sunshine State Conference. Coming into
this spring, he had a 340-193-4 record with the Profs and was just
one win shy of the career 450-win coaching milestone.
This season marks the fifth consecutive trip to the NCAA
Championship and he was named the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball
Association Coach of the Year following the spring of 2013.
His coaching prowess has resulted in two selections for NJAC Coach
of the Year honors in 2010 and 2011. Ranero coached at Rowan for a
five-year stint from 1994 to 1998 before accumulating over 100 wins
at Barry University, a member of the SSC.
In 2005, he guided Barry's baseball team to an overall record of
34-21 and a 12-12 SSC mark. The .618 winning percentage that year
and in 2004 was the team's best percentage since the Bucs advanced
to the NCAA South Region final in 1998.
Prior to Barry, Ranero was the head baseball coach and an
instructor at Westminster Christian School for two years. After the
1998 season, Ranero left Rowan to serve as recruiting coordinator
and pitching coach at NCAA Division I Old Dominion University.
Prior to coming to Rowan, he was an assistant baseball coach at
Appalachian State (N.C.) University for four years. Ranero was also
an assistant coach with the Yarmouth/Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod
League for six summers.
In addition, he has served as an assistant coach at Miami-Dade
Community College-Kendall Campus, Alfred B. Maclay School and South
Miami High School. He graduated from Florida State University in
1989 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and earned his
master's in physical education at Appalachian State University in
1992.
Ranero transferred to Florida State after earning his associate's
from Miami-Dade Community College. He was a pitcher at Miami-Dade
in 1984 and with the South Florida "Huskies" in the semi-pro
baseball circuit in 1984-85.