IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa baseball pitching coach Robin Lund has accepted a job as the assistant pitching coach for the Detroit Tigers.
“We are all happy and proud for Robin and his family,” said head coach Rick Heller. “Going straight from Iowa to the big leagues not only shows how incredibly talented Robin is, but how strong and progressive our program has become.”
“Robin has done a fantastic job in his four years here at Iowa and we will miss him. The Tigers are lucky to gain such an amazing teacher, coach and person. We wish Robin all the best in this next chapter of his career.”
During Lund’s tenure in Iowa City, the Hawkeyes won 103 games, had five All-Americans, two Big Ten Pitcher of the Years, one Big Ten Freshman of the Year, six ABCA/Rawlings All-Region and eight All-Big Ten honorees.
Lund has had seven pitchers move on to MLB organizations during the past two seasons.
In 2022, Iowa won 36 games — the eighth most wins in a single season in program history — and finished tied for second in the Big Ten, posting a 17-7 overall record. Iowa won 20 of 27, 23 of 32 and 30 of 42 games down the stretch, including winning six straight series to close out the regular season to put itself in NCAA Regional conversation at season’s end.
Lund oversaw an Iowa pitching staff that was among the nation’s best, as it ranked second nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (6.88), third in strikeouts per nine innings (11.2), fourth in ERA (3.72) and 11th in WHIP (1.29). The staff led the Big Ten in virtually every pitching category during the season, and it racked up a program record 609 strikeouts, shattering the previous record of 499 set in 2018.
During the 2021 season, the Hawkeyes won a school-record 26 conference games, finishing 26-18 overall, while facing a Big Ten-only schedule during the COVID-affected season. After starting the season 4-8, Iowa rattled off 11 wins in 12 contests and 15 in 18 games. The team won seven of their final 10 series to be right in the middle of the NCAA Regional conversation at season’s end.
During the 2020 season, Iowa won 10 games in the first month, including posting victories over ranked foes No. 18 Arizona, No. 20 North Carolina, and No. 14 Duke. The Hawkeyes went 2-1 at the Cambria College Classic, a tournament in Minneapolis pitting the Big Ten Conference against the ACC. The season came to an abrupt end on March 12 when it was cancelled because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
During his first season in Iowa City, Lund helped the Hawkeyes to 31 victories — the program’s sixth straight 30-win season — and a record sixth straight Big Ten Tournament appearance. Iowa won six straight series during the regular season, which included series wins over No. 23 Illinois, No. 30 Nebraska, and No. 18 UC Irvine.
The team went 10-3 against top-30 opponents in 2019, including taking two of three games at No. 19 Oklahoma State.
Lund earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Whitworth College in 1995 and his master’s degree in exercise science from Eastern Washington in 1997. He completed his Ph.D. in exercise science at the University of Idaho in 2002.