MIAMI – Former MLB manager, World Series Champion and Miami native Pedro Grifol (grif-FOAL) has been named the sixth head coach in FIU baseball program history.
 
A World Series-winning coach with the Kansas City Royals in 2015 who most recently served as the manager of the Chicago White Sox, Grifol was Florida's 1988 4A High School Player of the Year as a senior at Christopher Columbus High School.
 
Grifol, 56, served as the White Sox manager in 2023 and 2024, joining the Southsiders following a 10-year stint with the Kansas City Royals (2013-22).
 
"I am deeply honored to be named the head baseball coach at FIU," said Grifol. "First and foremost, I want to thank the good Lord for His guidance and blessings, and my family for their unwavering love and support. I also want to thank Athletic Director Scott Carr and President Jeanette Nuñez for entrusting me with this opportunity.
 
"Miami is one of the most talent-rich baseball communities in the country, and FIU possesses all the essential ingredients to build a championship-caliber program. We will recruit and develop student-athletes who represent this university with integrity and excellence, while re-energizing our proud alumni and the passionate South Florida community around FIU baseball."
 
Grifol's Miami roots were forged at Christopher Columbus HS where he also garnered all-county honors as a catcher and is enshrined in the Columbus Athletics Hall of Fame. The family name grew even more in the 305 when Amanda, Grifol's daughter, transferred to FIU to play soccer for her junior and senior seasons before graduating in 2020. Additionally, she is married to FIU men's soccer alumnus and current Louisville City FC goalkeeper Hugo Fauroux.
 
"We are excited to welcome Pedro – a Miami native who has coached at the highest level of baseball and won a World Series – to the FIU family," stated Carr. "A baseball lifer, Pedro has more than two decades of coaching experience, and has done it all – from manager, bench coach and catching coach at the MLB level to minor league and winter ball manager. He has an analytical approach to today's modern game, and his background as an MLB scout, particularly focusing on South Florida and Puerto Rico, will serve him well in recruiting.
 
"Those recruiting efforts are now directly linked to monetary compensation for student-athletes. Building a winning program in today's Division-I landscape takes significant financial investment, and we need more support to put us on par with our competition. We have a coach with deep Miami ties who is embedded in the community – help provide him with the resources needed to succeed."
 
Details regarding an introductory press conference for Grifol will be announced when they are finalized.
 
Grifol now becomes one of just three active Cuban-American D-I head coaches, joining Miami's JD Arteaga and Bethune-Cookman's Johnny Hernandez. Additionally, he is the second former MLB manager actively serving as a D-I head coach; the other is Arizona's Chip Hale (Arizona Diamondbacks, 2015-16) – who despite just a .456 winning percentage as an MLB manager – has now led the Wildcats to NCAA Tournament appearances in each of his four seasons at the helm (2022-25), including a College World Series appearance in 2025.

"Pedro Grifol is one of the finest human beings you could ever surround yourself with," commented MLB Hall of Famer Jim Thome. "He is also one of the best baseball minds I've ever known in my time in the game of baseball. He is going to be a tremendous college baseball coach and develop great leaders and players."
 
Grifol was the Kansas City bench coach his last three years with the Royals, and prior to that role served as KC's quality control/catching coach (2018-19), catching coach (2014-17), special assignment/hitting coach (2013-14) and Arizona Rookie League hitting coach (2013). The Royals won back-to-back American League pennants in 2014-15, capturing the aforementioned World Series championship in 2015 by defeating the New York Mets in five games after losing the Fall Classic to the San Francisco Giants in seven games in 2014.
 
During Grifol's time as the Royals' catching coach, catcher Salvador Pérez was selected to start five-straight All-Star Games (2014-18), was named a Rawlings Gold Glove winner four times (2014-16, 2018) and a Louisville Silver Slugger award winner twice (2016, 2018).
 
Grifol spent 13 seasons (2000-12) in the Seattle Mariners organization before joining the Royals. He was the manager for Class-A High Desert in 2012, guiding the Mavericks to an 83-57 regular-season record and a berth in the California League playoffs. Grifol also worked as an area scout for South Florida and Puerto Rico (2000-05), manager for Advanced Rookie (High-A) Everett (2003-05), Coordinator of Instruction (2006-08), Director of Minor League Operations (2008-11) and was on the Mariners' major league staff for the second half of 2010.
 
Internationally, Grifol also managed three seasons (2012-14) for Cardenales de Lara in the Venezuelan Winter League and one year (2019) for Gigantes de Cibao in the Dominican Winter League. He guided Lara to the 2013 VWL championship series.
 
A sixth-round 1991 MLB Draft pick out of Florida State, Grifol spent nine seasons (1991-99) in the minor leagues between the Minnesota Twins (1991-95) and New York Mets (1996-99) organizations.
 
Grifol played three seasons at Florida State, helping the Seminoles reach the College World Series in 1989 and 1991 and leaving his legacy as one of the best defensive catchers in college baseball history by throwing out more than 40% of runners who attempted to steal against him in his career.
 
Following Second Team Freshman All-American plaudits in his initial season in Tallahassee, Grifol earned First Team All-American honors as a junior – his final campaign with the 'Noles. He completed his undergraduate degree in 2001 from Excelsior University and was inducted into the FSU Hall of Fame in 2023.

WHAT ELSE THEY ARE SAYING
"There is no doubt in my mind that Pedro Grifol will impact the FIU baseball program, its players and the entire community in a powerful way. His leadership, diligence and commitment to developing young men on and off the field are truly special. As a World Champion, Pedro knows what it takes to win at the highest level. His attention to detail, commitment to excellence and love for the game of baseball are world class, and the young men who play for him will benefit from his mentorship for the rest of their lives." 
- MLB All-Star Raul Ibañez

"I'm so glad to hear that the new FIU baseball coach will be Miami native Pedro Grifol! Bringing in a former Major League manager to guide the Panthers is great news. Looking forward to a great future for FIU baseball!"
- Four-Time MLB All-Star & Two-Time World Series Champion Mike Lowell '97
 
THE PEDRO GRIFOL FILE
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
High School: Christopher Columbus, 1988
College: Excelsior University, 2001 (B.S.); Florida State, 1988-91
Born: Nov. 28, 1969 (Age: 56)
 
PLAYING CAREER
1991-95: Minnesota Twins (Levels: Rookie, A+, AA, AAA)
1996-99: New York Mets (Levels: AA, AAA)
 
COACHING CAREER
SEATTLE MARINERS (2000-12)
2000-05: Scout
2003-05: Manager (Advanced Rookie – Everett AquaSox)
2006-08: Coordinator of Instruction
2008-11: Director of Minor League Operations
2010: Coaching Staff (MLB)
2012: Manager (Class A – High Desert Mavericks)
 
KANSAS CITY ROYALS (2013-22)
2013: Hitting Coach (Arizona Rookie League)
2013-14: Special Assignment/Hitting Coach
2014-17: Catching Coach
2018-19: Quality Control/Catching Coach
2020-22: Bench Coach
 
CHICAGO WHITE SOX (2023-24)
2023-24: Manager
 
INTERNATIONAL (2012-14, 2019)
2012-14: Manager (Venezuelan Winter League – Cardenales de Lara)
2019: Manager (Dominican Winter League – Gigantes de Cibao)
 
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