Fleetwood Named Baseball's Volunteer Asst. Coach
Wednesday, July 3, 2002 | Baseball
University of Florida head baseball coach Pat McMahon announced the appointment of Brian Fleetwood as the program's volunteer assistant baseball coach. Fleetwood replaces Jason Murray who was named an Assistant Baseball Coach at the University of Michigan on June 25.
"We are extremely pleased and excited that Brian will be joining the Gator family and baseball coaching staff," McMahon said. "He's a hard worker and will make an outstanding contribution to the program."
Fleetwood arrives at Florida after serving the 2001 season as a graduate assistant coach at the University of North Florida under head coach Dusty Rhodes, who assisted McMahon on the 2001 USA Baseball team. He also managed and coordinated the Dusty Rhodes Baseball Camps from 1999-2001. In addition, Fleetwood played for and coached with current UF assistant coach Ross Jones in both 2000 and 2001. He also has extensive Florida baseball ties as his father, Ray Fleetwood, lettered for the Gators in 1968.
Fleetwood earned a scholarship and played first base and outfield at North Florida from 1997-2000. During his four-year varsity career, he helped lead the Ospreys to a 163-69 record (.703), two Peach Belt Conference titles and two top-five national finishes. As a senior in 2000, he started all 63 contests, hit 10 home runs and drove in 61 runs and capped off his campaign by playing in the NCAA Division II World Series in Montgomery, Ala. Fleetwood concluded his career as UNF's all-time career leader in games played (213), home runs (36), RBI (163) and at bats (676). He is also ranked among UNF career leaders in runs scored (3rd with 134), doubles (4th- 33) and hits (4th-188). As a freshman, he hit nine home runs- a UNF class record and was also named to the NCAA Division II South Atlantic Region All Tournament team in 1999. Among his career highlights include a grand slam against Florida Southern and a game-winning grand slam in the ninth inning against Purdue.
"I am extremely excited for the opportunity to work with coaches McMahon, John Cohen and Ross Jones," Fleetwood said. "I'm happy and honored to be a member of the Gator family and I want to do everything I can to help this program. I had a great experience at North Florida and I'm looking forward to helping the Gator program be the best that it can be."
A Jacksonville native, Fleetwood is a 1996 honors graduate of Mandarin High School, where he played for head coach Joe Hicks. In addition, he earned Eagle Scout, the Boy Scouts of America highest honor on November 16, 1995.
THE BRIAN FLEETWOOD FILE
Birthdate: November 4, 1977
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
Education: University of North Florida, 1996-current, Major: Public Relations; Mandarin High School, 1996.
Playing Career:
University of North Florida, 1996-00.
Coaching Career:
Graduate Assistant Baseball Coach, University of North Florida, 2000-02; Camp Coordinator- Dusty Rhodes Baseball Camps, 1999-01.
JASON MURRAY NAMED ASSISTANT BASEBALL COACH AT MICHIGAN
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Former University of Florida volunteer baseball assistant coach Jason Murray was named as an assistant baseball coach at the University of Michigan.
"We're all very proud of Jason Murray and his new opportunity as an assistant coach at Michigan," McMahon said. "He did an outstanding job."
Murray arrived in Gainesville after serving two seasons as an assistant baseball coach under Joe Hudak at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. Prior to his two seasons at Winthrop, Murray coached a one-year stint at Rio Hondo College in Whittier, Calif. He also served as a student assistant coach at Ball State University (Muncie, Ind.) after concluding his playing career in 1999. Ball State finished with a 39-18 record and Mid-American Conference Western Division title. Murray has also coached in the Bluegrass Collegiate League.
Murray joins first-year Michigan coach Rich Maloney's staff. Maloney coached Murray at Ball State where he started at shortstop from 1996-97.
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