University of South Florida head baseball coach Mitch Hannahs has announced that former first-round pick and Major League pitcher Daniel Schlereth will join the Bulls’ coaching staff. Schlereth will serve as South Florida’s pitching coach.
Schlereth joins the Bulls after two seasons as the pitching coach at Western Michigan University following his 13-year career in professional baseball.
The Western Michigan Broncos won the 2024 MAC tournament championship and advanced to the NCAA Regional. WMU posted a 32-22 record in 2024 for the program’s most wins since 1993. Schlereth’s pitching staff tossed a pair of shutouts during the MAC tournament, posted a 1.00 ERA (3 ER/27.0 IP) and recorded 30 strikeouts while issuing just three walks.
The Broncos tossed seven shutouts during the 2024 season, ranked 40th in the NCAA in walks allowed per nine innings (3.88) and 66th in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.14). Right-handed pitcher Nolan Vlcek was named Second Team All-Conference. Schlereth also coached Brady Miller to All-Conference honors in 2023.
Western Michigan’s team ERA dropped by over three full runs in Schlereth’s two seasons as the Broncos lead the MAC with a 5.55 ERA in 2024.
Prior to his time at Western Michigan, Schlereth completed his first season as the manager of the Joliet Slammers, a member of the Frontier League. The first-year skipper steered the Slammers to a 49-47 record. He returned to the Joliet dugout for the 2023 campaign, leading the team to a 46-50 mark. In his two seasons, the Slammers ranked third (4.01) and fifth (4.40), respectively, in the 16-team Frontier League in team ERA.
Before beginning his coaching career, Schlereth spent a season working in the player development and scouting department for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Schlereth was selected in the first round (26th overall) of the 2008 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks after a standout collegiate career at the University of Arizona. Schlereth reached the Majors quickly, making his debut for the Diamondbacks in May of 2009. The southpaw made 21 appearances for Arizona in 2009 before he was traded, along with Max Scherzer, to the Detroit Tigers in the offseason.
In three seasons with Detroit, Schlereth made a total of 73 appearances and posted a 3.98 ERA in 74.2 innings. During his time, the Tigers won back-to-back AL Central Division titles in 2011 and 2012. Schlereth helped the Tigers reach the 2011 ALCS and the 2012 World Series.
Over 12 professional seasons on the mound, Schlereth played for 10 different Major League organizations, including three stints with the Tigers. In four seasons at the Major League level with Detroit and Arizona, the lefty pitched in a total of 94 games and posted a 4.35 ERA with 91 strikeouts in 93.0 innings. In the Minor Leagues, Schlereth pitched in 214 games and owned a 2.80 ERA with 262 strikeouts over 234.1 innings.
Schlereth first attended UNLV before transferring to Arizona. He was a two-time All Pac-10 recipient in his three seasons and named a 2008 All-American.
Schlereth and his wife, Bree, have three children, Quinn, Drew and Zane. His father, Mark, played in the NFL for 12 seasons, won three Super Bowls and was named to the Pro Bowl twice.
About USF Baseball
The South Florida Baseball program played its first season in 1966 and will enter its 60th season in 2025. Mitch Hannahs was named South Florida’s eighth head coach in program history on June 8, 2024 after compiling 355 wins over 11 seasons at Indiana State. The 2023 ABCA NCAA DI Midwest Region Coach of the Year guided the Sycamores to six conference titles and five NCAA Regionals.
The Bulls have made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances and earned their first-ever Super Regional berth in 2021. The Bulls have won five conference tournament titles (3 Sun Belt, 1 Metro and 1 American) and six regular season championships (3 Sun Belt, 2 Metro and 1 C-USA). USF baseball players have been recognized with All-America honors 12 times, most recently with third baseman David Villar in 2018, and 19 have earned Freshman All-America accolades, most recently Eric Snow in 2023. USF has had 131 MLB Draft Picks. Former 2018 first-round draft pick, Shane McClanahan, is a two-time MLB All-Star.
