Russ McNickle - Associate Head Coach/Pitchers & Catchers - Baseball Coaches

Russ McNickle

Title:
Associate Head Coach/Pitchers & Catchers
Phone:
901-678-5041

Russ McNickle was named the associate head coach and coach of the pitchers and catchers for the University of Memphis in July of 2013, continuing a coaching career that began in 1989.

Under McNickle’s tutelage, the Tigers’ pitching staff set a school record for strikeouts with 484 in 2018 and then broke that record with 501 in 2019. The staff has recorded 87 saves under McNickle, including 17 saves in 2019, the second most in program history.

Major League Baseball continues to dip into the Tiger’s pool for draft picks, tabbing catcher Hunter Goodman in the fourth round of the 2021 draft. In three seasons with Memphis, Goodman hit .323 with 29 doubles, 41 home runs, and 149 runs batted in. Selected in the 2019 draft was lefty Alex Smith who went to the Kansas City Royals in the 24^th round, while in 2018, a pair of Tigers were drafted. The Kansas City Royals picked righty Jonathan Bowlan in the second round (58^th overall selection) – the second-highest pick in program history – while righty Riley Cabral was a 31^st round selection of the Houston Astros. Aside from 2020's shortened MLB Draft (five rounds), the Tigers have had at least one player selected in each of the past 12 drafts. Memphis has had six players drafted in the top 10 rounds over that stretch. In McNickle's eight seasons, thirteen pitchers have been drafted and/or signed by MLB.

Bowlan was the first Memphis hurler since 2013 to record 100 strikeouts in a season and in a complete game win over South Florida on April 28, he set an American Athletic Conference record with 18 strikeouts. The 18 strikeouts, all of which were swinging, were the most by a pitcher in a Division I game during the 2018 season.

Other McNickle-coached pitchers include relievers Colton Neel, who posted 10 saves in his senior season (fourth most in school history). Neel joined Nolan Blackwood (1st, 14, 2014) and Colton Hathcock (3rd, 11, 2017) on the Memphis single-season saves list, all of whom pitched for McNickle.

McNickle’s first three seasons on the Memphis coaching staff overlapped with the three-year career of one of the program’s most accomplished pitchers, Nolan Blackwood.

A 14^th-round draft pick in 2016, Blackwood put his name all over the Memphis baseball record book in his three seasons from 2014-16. Under McNickle’s guidance, Blackwood pitched in a program record 83 games in his career and notched a record 24 career saves. He compiled a 2.32 career earned run average in 116.1 innings pitched, which ranks as the fifth lowest ERA in program history (minimum 70 IP).

Including Blackwood, McNickle has coached a pair of First-Team All-Conference pitchers. The other was Caleb Wallingford, who compiled a 2.44 ERA and a 6-5 record in 14 starts, while leading the team with 70 strikeouts in 2014. Blackwood, who became the first Memphis pitcher to earn All-America honors in more than 30 years, compiled a 0.52 ERA and a single-season program record 14 saves in 2015.

McNickle began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant coach on legendary coach Rob Polk’s staff at Mississippi State University in 1989. The Mobile, Ala. native helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA tournament in 1989 and 1990, winning the 1989 SEC regular season title and a share of the SEC Tournament in 1990 with a trip to the College World Series.

McNickle then coached the pitchers and catchers under Dr. Roger Martinesen in 1991 and 1992 at Central Florida Community College in Ocala, Fla. before he joined the coaching staff at Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla. Serving as assistant coach to ABCA Hall of Famer, Chuck Anderson, McNickle spent six seasons (1993-1998) at the NCAA Division II school where he helped coach the Moccasins to a 265-84 mark. Florida Southern won the 1995 NCAA Division II National Championship after finishing as national runner-up in 1994. Overall, Florida Southern made five NCAA postseason appearances and won three Sunshine State Conference in McNickle's six seasons there. Two players were named ABCA National Player of the Year, while fifteen earned All-American status. A total of 28 players were selected in the Major League Baseball draft during McNickle’s tenure including Brett Tomko who was the Cincinnati Reds’ top pick in 1995 and went on to win 100 games in 14 major league seasons.

McNickle's coaching career continued with two seasons (1999-2000) at the University of South Florida, where he served as pitching coach and top assistant under coach Eddie Cardieri. Following the 2000 campaign, McNickle returned to Mississippi, this time as head coach at Meridian Community College. His 2001 MCC Eagles club posted a 38-16 record and claimed the Miss-Lou Conference championship.

McNickle returned to Mississippi State in 2002 where he joined Daron Schoenrock on the coaching staff. McNickle worked with the catchers and hitters while Schoenrock was the pitching coach. Moving to the Bulldogs pitching coach from 2005-08, McNickle helped Mississippi State to a SEC Tournament Title in 2005 and a 2007 trip to the College World Series.

In 2008, McNickle was named head coach at Saint Leo University, returning to the NCAA Division II Sunshine State Conference from 2008-2012 where he coached three SSC Freshmen of the Year. Following his stint at Saint Leo, he left to pursue a scouting position with the San Diego Padres which he held until he joined the Tigers.

McNickle’s resume also includes summer collegiate baseball league coaching stints in both the Cape Cod League and the Valley Baseball League. He has also made numerous appearances at clinics and summer baseball camps.

A catcher by trade, McNickle earned All-State honors during his prep baseball career at Mobile Christian High School. He continued his playing career at Patrick Henry State Junior College in Monroeville, Ala., in 1984 and 1985 before he earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of South Alabama in 1988.

He is married to the former Robin Elliott of Houma, La., and the couple has a son, Trey, and daughter, Jordan. Trey pitched for the Memphis Tigers from 2015-16 and currently serves as a scouting supervisor for the Atlanta Braves. Jordan, who is a UofM alumna, earned her degree in spring of 2020.