NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion baseball head coach Chris Finwood and the baseball program has announced the addition of Mike Marron as pitching coach. Marron was the assistant coach for pitchers and catchers at Stony Brook University for the last six years.
“We are happy to announce that Mike Marron has been hired as our new pitching coach,” said Finwood. “Mike brings a wealth of experience as both a pitching coach and a recruiter. He has been on the staff at Stony Brook for the past six years and has helped Coach Senk and Coach Pennucci develop the baseball program into one of the best in the Northeast.”
Finwood also noted, “Mike is a tireless worker on the field and on the recruiting trail and will be a great addition to our staff. We hope everyone in Monarch Nation will help us welcome Mike, his wife Sara and their daughter Nora to the ODU family.”
Marron joined the Stony Brook baseball staff as an assistant coach in 2009, where he was directly responsible for the preparation of the pitching staff routine, drills and philosophies. He was also heavily involved with the recruiting process and assisted in developing three top 75 national recruiting classes and five top 5 regional recruiting classes.
During his time at Stony Brook, the Seawolves went 219-121 and claimed five America East championship titles. He also recruited, coached and developed four All-Americans, five Freshman All-Americans, three Conference Pitchers and Rookies of the Year, 10 Major League Baseball draft picks and 22 all-conference selections.
Marron highlighted his career by helping the program record a 52-15 overall record in 2012 en route to a College World Series appearance in Omaha, Neb. and a No. 7 national ranking. His pitching staff produced the 15th best ERA in the nation, while also ranking ninth in hits allowed and 23rd in walks allowed.
“I want to thank Dr. Selig and Coach Finwood for welcoming me, my wife and daughter into the Old Dominion family and the Norfolk community,” noted Marron. “ODU has a rich baseball tradition and a clear commitment to providing its student-athletes with a first rate experience. I look forward to working with the coaching staff, getting to know the players and contributing to ODU’s championship effort.”
Marron arrived at Stony Brook after four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. He helped lead the team to the Northeast 10 Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Regionals in 2006. During his last two seasons, Marron guided the program to top 10 ERA rankings in Division II, ranking eighth in 2008 (3.37) and fifth in the nation in 2009 (3.14). Overall, he mentored 23 all-conference players, including a Rookie of the Year, two First Team All-Region selections and a fifth round MLB draft pick.
While in Massachusetts, Marron was the head coach of the Pittsfield Dukes in the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) for two summers, leading the program to its first playoff berth and a place in the Divisional Championship round. He was named the 2008 NECBL Coach of the Year and coached 13 MLB draft picks. Marron moved to the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), the premier amateur baseball league, in the summer of 2009 as an assistant coach for the Orleans Firebirds. He assisted with all on-field phases of the organization and coached 21 draft picks, including five current MLB players.
Prior to his coaching days, Marron was a standout athlete at the College of the Holy Cross, where he was a four-year letter-winner. He was a right-handed pitcher and catcher from 2002-2005. He was named the Hop Riopel Team Most Valuable Player and Second Team All-Patriot League in 2003 and earned the title of team captain as a senior.
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