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June 16, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – University of Virginia head baseball coach Brian O’Connor has announced another key addition to his coaching staff. O’Connor named J.J. Brock his volunteer assistant coach. Brock joins current UVa assistant coaches Kevin McMullan and Karl Kuhn on the Virginia coaching staff and replaces former UVa volunteer assistant coach James Molinari.
“The UVa coaching staff and players are excited about J.J. Brock joining our program,” said O’Connor. “J.J.’s baseball experiences with the University of Notre Dame and the Arizona Diamondbacks Organization has prepared him to be a great coach at UVa. He is young and energetic and I am looking forward to seeing Coach Brock’s impact on our future success.”
Brock also expressed his excitement and is eager to get started working within the UVa coaching system.
“I am thrilled with the opportunity to join the coaching staff for the University of Virginia baseball program,” said Brock. “Not only does the University have an outstanding academic reputation, the baseball program under the direction of Coach O’Connor, Coach McMullan and Coach Kuhn has already established itself among the nation’s elite. I will no doubt learn a tremendous amount from the coaches, and hopefully bring some ideas and a work ethic to add to UVa baseball’s future success. It is an honor to become part of this special community, and I cannot wait to get started.”
Brock comes to Virginia after serving as an assistant coach at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. from 2001-2003. At Saint Mary’s, Brock served as the infield and hitting coach and also assisted with recruiting and scouting for the Gaels. While at Saint Mary’s during the 2002 season, the Gaels tied the school record for win in the West Coast Conference (WCC) and turned 64 double plays on the season which was the highest per game mark in the NCAA that season.
Brock helped coach three Saint Mary’s players; Mark Teahen, 3B (supplemental 1st round, Oakland A’s), Jason Waugh, OF (11th round, Toronto Blue Jays) and Brett Wayne (22nd round, Los Angeles Dodgers) who were selected in the 2002 Major League Baseball Draft. He also worked with Gaels’ catcher Nick Conte who was drafted in the 13th round by the San Francisco Giants the following season (2003).
Prior to his coaching stint at Saint Mary’s, Brock was an assistant coach for the Danville Dans (Danville, Ill.) in 2001 and helped coach Danville’s championship summer baseball team of the Central Illinois Collegiate League (CICL).
Before his coaching stops at Moraga and Danville, Brock earned a Master’s Degree in Physical Education, Athletic Administration at Ohio University from 2000-2001. While at Ohio, he spent one season working with the Bobcats’ outfielders and hitters as a graduate assistant coach on the OU staff.
A native of Colorado, Brock completed a professional baseball career in the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in 2001, before his tenure at Ohio. He started his career at Class A South Bend (Ind.) before moving to AA El Paso for one season.
Brock was a four-year letterman at Notre Dame where he played for the Fighting Irish from 1995-1998. He served as the team captain for Notre Dame’s 1997 and 1998 teams. The 1997 Fighting Irish squad won the Big East regular-season championship. Brock started 238 games in the infield and was the team’s MVP as a senior. He was also named a First Team All-Big East shortstop in 1998 and was named a GTE Academic All-District selection as both a junior and as a senior.
Brock graduated with a B.S. in Mathematics from Notre Dame in 1997.
— UVa —