IOWA CITY, Iowa – The University of Iowa baseball team has named Sean McGrath as assistant baseball coach and player development analyst, head coach Rick Heller announced Wednesday.
“We are excited to welcome Sean and his family to Iowa,” said Heller. “Sean is an outstanding pitching coach with a proven track record of success at both the college and professional level. He is also a fantastic recruiter. Our successful pitching program is in great hands with a coach as talented and well-rounded as Sean. I have no doubt he will take us to even higher levels.”
“I’m very grateful for the opportunity Rick has given me to join the Iowa baseball program,” said McGrath. “The culture that their staff has created, along with their emphasis on development has me very excited to get to work.”
In 2022, McGrath was the pitching coach for the Seattle Mariners Double-A affiliate the Arkansas Travelers. The Travers put together an ERA of 4.27, ranking second in the Texas League. The staff led the league in three categories: totaling 11 shutouts, a 1.30 WHIP and a .229 batting average against. Under McGrath’s leadership Taylor Dollard was named the 2022 Texas League Pitcher of the Year.
McGrath spent a season as the pitching coach for the High-A Everett AquaSox and was named as the pitching coach for the Single-A Modesto Nuts in 2020 prior to the cancellation of the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to joining the Mariners system McGrath served as the pitching coach at Elon University from 2018-2019. In his first season working with the Phoenix staff, Elon pitchers amassed a program record 575 strikeouts
Prior to his stop at Elon, McGrath was the pitching coach at UMass Lowell, where McGrath tutored a pair of River Hawk pitchers to all-conference honors. In 2017, the squad’s top two starters combined for 10 victories, 128 strikeouts and a 2.83 ERA over 143.1 innings of work.
McGrath moved to UMass Lowell after one year as the scouting director for the Prep Baseball Report in New Jersey.
McGrath served two seasons as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Iona College, handling the day-to-day operations of the pitching staff and leading recruiting efforts. During his time, the pitching staff improved its win total each season. McGrath coached and developed 2015 fourth-round MLB Draft pick Mariano Rivera into the 2015 MAAC Player of the Year.
McGrath played four years of varsity baseball at Lafayette College. Over his collegiate career, McGrath made 70 appearances totaling 111.1 innings. He finished his career with five wins, five saves, 108 strikeouts, and a .296 batting average against. During his senior campaign, McGrath pitched 32.1 innings and set career bests; in appearances (26), saves (3), strikeouts (43) and batting average against (.230).
He graduated from Lafayette College in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in government & law.