July 20, 2010

Calvi named head coach in-waiting at South Alabama

Mark Calvi, pitching coach at South Carolina, has taken the head coach in-waiting position at South Alabama.

Calvi will serve as associate head coach for the upcoming season under retiring head coach Steve Kittrell and will lead the Jaguars at the conclusion of the 2011 campaign.

Calvi helped the Gamecocks win the 2010 national championship. The USC pitching staff recorded a 2.15 ERA at the College World Series. For the season, the Gamecocks ranked seventh in the nation with a 3.45 ERA. USC allowed 220 walks and registered 625 strikeouts. The Gamecocks were sixth in the country with 8.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Prior to his six-year stint at South Carolina, Calvi was pitching coach at FIU for 11 seasons. The Panthers reached the NCAA Tournament seven times, winning a regional title in 2001. The FIU pitching staff was in the Top 10 in the nation in ERA five times, including No. 1 in 1995 (2.40) and 1999 (3.07). The Panthers led the country in strikeouts in 1998 with 675.

A native of Marco Island, Fla., Calvi was a three-year letter-winner at Nova Southeastern as a catcher. He earned a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. Calvi signed with the Seattle Mariners in 1992 and helped his team win the Northwest League title that season. He worked as a scout for the Mariners the following year.

The Jaguars were 32-27 in 2010 and tied for fourth in the Sun Belt with a 17-13 conference mark.