CHICAGO – University of Chicago Director of Athletics & Recreation Angie Torain announced the hiring of Kevin Tyrrell as head baseball coach on Tuesday.
"Kevin is no stranger to our program. His hard work on the field, behind the scenes, and with recruiting makes him an excellent leader for our baseball program," Torain said. "I am very excited to watch our program thrive under his leadership."
Tyrrell spent the past three seasons serving as an assistant baseball coach for UChicago (2019-21). During that time, the Maroons posted a 48-23 cumulative record (.676 winning percentage). UChicago finished first in the Midwest Conference North Division in 2019 and qualified for the MWC Tournament.
Prior to his arrival in Hyde Park, Tyrrell was Head Baseball Coach at the College of DuPage for seven seasons. The Chaparrals achieved top-10 rankings in the NJCAA national poll during each of his final four years at DuPage (2015-18). The 2016 squad won 40 games and was ranked as high as fourth in the national poll.
Tyrrell's teams at College of DuPage posted an overall record of 188-174. Seven of his players received NJCAA All-American status. In 2016, All-American catcher Javier Martinez received NJCAA Elite Hitter recognition when he led the nation with 74 RBI. The Chaparrals boasted a consistent run of offensive production under Tyrrell, hitting over .300 as a team in all seven seasons. The 2013 squad produced the best batting average in that time at .348, followed by .336 in 2016 and .334 in 2014.
Tyrrell began his head coaching career with the Upper Deck Cougars travel baseball team (2007-10). The 2008 Cougars reached the 15U USSSA National Championship game, and then followed up by winning the 16U USSSA National Championship in 2009. Tyrrell coached 19 NCAA Division I athletes, 10 Major League Baseball draft picks and four players who have played on MLB rosters.
"I am overwhelmingly grateful to Angie Torain and the hiring committee for giving me this opportunity," Tyrrell said. "It has been such an incredible experience the last three years working under Coach John Fitzgerald and taking over a program that has seen only positive momentum under his leadership. Every program John has led has been built into a winning machine consisting of high-quality student-athletes with the highest character. I can't say enough about what an outstanding job he has done building this program into what it is today. It is such an honor to be a part of an institution with such a rich tradition of offering the highest quality education combined with an unbelievable athletic experience for its student-athletes. I cannot wait to help continue the University of Chicago's winning tradition of having such a profound impact on the lives of its student-athletes."
As a collegiate student-athlete, Tyrrell was a three-year team captain and middle infielder on the Lewis University baseball team. He graduated from Lewis in 2007 with a double major in business administration and management information systems.