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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Joe Migliaccio (Mig-lee-ah-chee-o) has been named the University of Iowa baseball team’s volunteer assistant coach, head coach Rick Heller announced Thursday. Migliaccio will serve as the Hawkeyes’ hitting coach.
“I am thrilled that coach Heller and his staff have presented me with the opportunity to be part of the Iowa baseball program,” said Migliaccio. “I can’t want to get started and continue to develop our players at the highest level possible.”
Migliaccio joins the program following coaching stints at Murray State, Missouri, Southeast Missouri State, and Siena College.
“We are excited to have Joe join our staff,” said Heller. “Joe will bring a great deal of experience and success to our program. He has worked with some quality people and programs in his career. Joe is an excellent hitting coach and I believe that our players will love working with him.”
During his lone season as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at Murray State, Migliaccio helped lead a transformation in the Racers’ offense. Murray State ranked in the top-20 in the nation in walks, on-base percentage, and runs, while ranking in the top 31 nationally in slugging percentage (26th), doubles (29th), and home runs (31).
Three players earned All-Ohio Valley Conference honors with Grant Wood being selected as the OVC Freshman of the Year.
Prior to making the move Kentucky, Migliaccio spent the 2017 season as a graduate assistant at Missouri. He helped guide the Tigers to their best record since 2008, a season where the team finished 36-22. At Mizzou, Migliaccio was responsible for defensive development, while assisting offensively.
As a result, the Tigers’ fielding percentage improved seven points in 2017. He also was key in implementing the Pitch Recognition System and helped two players get drafted in the 2017 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Migliaccio spent the 2016 season at Southeast Missouri as a volunteer assistant coach, helping the Redhawks to the 2016 OVC regular season and tournament championships and a berth into NCAA Regionals. He coached four All-OVC selections and one player who was selected in the MLB Draft.
In 2014 and 2015, Migliaccio served as a volunteer assistant at Siena College. He also spent the summer of 2014 as an assistant coach with the Liberal Bees in the Jayhawk Baseball League.
As a player, Migliaccio was an infielder at Florida International (2009-10), Parkland College (2010-12), and Oral Roberts (2012-14). The West Melbourne, Florida, native graduated cum laude from Oral Roberts in 2014 with a degree in recreation administration with a minor in humanities. He earned his master’s degree in education from Missouri in 2018.
