MIAMI – FIU baseball head coach Rich Witten announced the hiring of Brian Jeroloman as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator and Sean Thompson as assistant coach on Thursday.
 
Jeroloman, who will also work with the catchers defensively at FIU, most recently served as a scout for the New York Yankees for the last three seasons (2019-22) and was previously an assistant coach at the University of South Florida in 2018-19. 
 
He also enjoyed a stellar playing career at the University of Florida before being selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the sixth round of the 2006 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft (180th overall). Jeroloman was also a member of the 2005 USA Baseball National Team.
 
"Brian brings an extremely valuable combination of college coaching experience and professional scouting to our program," said Witten. "As a scout for the New York Yankees in South Florida, his contacts, relationships, and ability to evaluate players is next level. Brian has a contagious and positive energy that will be a great fit with our program."
 
Thompson joins the Panthers after a stint as the pitching coach at Monmouth University in 2022. He was also previously on the staff with Witten at Virginia Commonwealth (VCU) during the 2021 campaign.
 
"Sean is one of the brightest young pitching minds in all of college baseball," said Witten. "He has won championships, earned all-conference honors, and played professional ball. Sean has a great understanding of how to develop a pitching staff and our players will love their relationship with him. I can't wait to see them develop under his tutelage."
 
Jeroloman arrives after serving as a scout for the New York Yankees amongst the South Florida region, while having spent time with USF baseball as an assistant catching, pitching and hitting coach.
 
"I'm very excited for this opportunity to join the Panther family," said Jeroloman. "I look forward to getting to work and hitting the ground running in South Florida. It's an exciting time for FIU Baseball and I can't thank Coach Witten enough for allowing me to be a part of it."
 
During his time at USF in 2019, Jeroloman helped guide three MLB draftees, highlighted by first baseman Joe Genord, who earned first team All-AAC accolades was selected in ninth-round of 2019 MLB Draft by the New York Mets.
 
Genord hit a career best .333 with 13 home runs, 52 RBI and 36 runs scored in 2019, while having 16 multi-hit games, 14 multi-RBI games and finishing the year with a 25-game on-base streak.
 
Additionally, under Jeroloman's guidance, pitchers Nelson Alvarez and Alec Wisely were selected in the 13th and 34th round to the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians, respectively. Alvarez held opponents to a team-low .172 batting average, while Wisely posted a 4.88 ERA with 54 strikeouts in 75.2 innings during the 2019 season. 
 
Prior to USF, Jeroloman was the hitting and catching coach at St. John's River State College, where his team posted solid offensive numbers with 333 runs, 57 home runs and a batting average of .301.
 
Jeroloman spent 11 years as a professional baseball player in the organizations with the Toronto Blue Jays (2006-12), Cleveland Indians (2013), Pittsburgh Pirates (2013) and Washington Nationals (2013-17). Collegiately, Jeroloman enjoyed a successful career as a three-year starting catcher for the Florida Gators (2004-06), during which he was named to the Johnny Bench Award Watch List, which recognizes the nation's top catcher.
 
He was recognized with All-SEC Freshman Team honors in 2004 during a season that saw the Gators finish as the runner-up at the 2005 College World Series. Jeroloman was the starting catcher for the USA National Team in 2005 and was named a preseason All-American in 2006. Baseball America selected him as the best defensive catcher and for having the best arm in college baseball for the 2006 season.
 
Thompson spent 2022 as the pitching coach at Monmouth University, where he oversaw the development of MU's pitching personnel and helped produce the unanimous choice for 2022 MAAC Pitcher of the Year in First Team All-MAAC selection Trey Dombroski.
 
"First I'd like to thank Coach Witten and FIU Athletics for letting me a part of this great program," said Thompson. "South Florida has the very best that baseball has to offer, and I could not be more excited about getting to work with these young men. I'm looking forward to helping to shape and grow the FIU baseball program with leadership and hard work."
 
Under Thompson's guidance, Dombroski posted one of the best seasons for a Monmouth pitcher in program history. Dombroski broke Monmouth's single-season strikeout record with 120 K's and posted a league-best 3.13 ERA under Thompson's tutelage. He issued only 14 walks in 95 innings and limited opponents to a .224 batting average. The left-handed pitcher picked up several accolades including being named a second team All-American by Collegiate Baseball, ABCA Third Team All-American and ABCA First Team All-East Region honoree.
 
Thompson guided Monmouth to the top of the MAAC pitching rankings last season with a league-low team earned run average, second-highest strikeout total and second-fewest walks issued among conference leaders. Dombroski and Monmouth left-hander Rob Hensey were recently selected in the MLB Draft, going in the fourth round to Houston and the ninth round to Cincinnati, respectively.
 
Thompson spent the 2021 season at his alma mater, VCU, as the Director of Pitching Development, where he worked with a Rams pitching staff that saw a pair of players, Tyler Davis and Mason Delane, named to the Atlantic-10 All-Rookie Team.
 
As a player, Thompson was a four-year starter for the Rams (2015-18). He compiled a 27-10 record and 3.30 ERA over 300 innings with 249 strikeouts. Thompson was a 2015 selection to the Atlantic-10 All-Rookie Team and his 27 wins list as the second-most in program history.
 
Thompson signed with the Chicago White Sox as an undrafted free agent in June 2018 and pitched in the Arizona Rookie League before playing for the Great Falls Voyagers in 2019. With the Voyagers, he made 14 starts and struck out 66 across 80 innings.
 
He also worked previously with Flood City Elite travel baseball as an assistant coach, as well as coaching as an assistant with Paul Carpenter's All-American Amateur Baseball Association Team, helping lead them to a 32-2 record.

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