TAMPA, Fla. (June 5, 2026) – Former South Florida student-athlete and Major League Baseball player and coach Dave Eiland has been promoted to pitching coach for the USF baseball program. He joined the Bulls coaching staff ahead of the 2026 season as a player development coordinator.
 
"We are ecstatic to have someone of Dave's caliber running our pitching staff. He has great experience and expertise, and his ability to teach and connect with players made him an obvious choice," said South Florida baseball head coach Mitch Hannahs.
 
Eiland is a Florida native from Zephyrhills and graduated from Zephyrhills High School in 1984. He was a pitcher at USF in 1986 and 1987, earning All-Sun Belt pitcher in 1986. He entered the 1987 season as a preseason All-American and served as a team co-captain.
 
Eiland, the two-time World Series-winning pitching coach (2009 Yankees, 2015 Royals), coached more than a dozen MLB All-Stars, numerous 20-game winners, two Cy Young Award winners, and three Hall of Famers (Mariano Rivera, Mike Mussina, and CC Sabathia).
 
After his years as a South Florida pitcher, Eiland went on to pitch 10 seasons in the MLB with the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He was a major league pitching coach for 11 years for the Yankees, Kansas City Royals, and New York Mets. Ned Yost, the winningest manager in Kansas City Royals history, worked directly with Eiland.
 
"I'm thrilled to see Dave Eiland back at the University of South Florida as their pitching coach. He was an outstanding pitching coach for me with the Royals, and the work he did with our staff during our World Series run was tremendous. USF is getting a guy who knows how to develop pitchers, build confidence, and win at the highest level. This is a fantastic hire for the program," said Yost.
 
Former Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson, who led the Phillies to their first National League pennant and a World Series appearance in 2022, has known Eiland for almost four decades.
 
"He builds winners. You won't find a better teacher in every aspect of pitching development, but his greatest trait is that he cares so much about each and every one of his players," Thomson stated.
 
Former Kansas City Royals ace in 2013 and 2014, James Shields, couldn't be happier for Eiland.
 
"I really excited to see what Dave is going to do at South Florida. The amount of experience and knowledge he is going to bring at the college level is going to be fun to watch," said Shields.
 
He also remarked on what it was like being a pitcher under Eiland.
 
"The best thing I loved about Dave was his work ethic. Always holding his (pitching) staff accountable and always pushing us to be ourselves. He created a culture where everyone believed in themselves."
 
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About South Florida Baseball
The University of South Florida baseball program, founded in 1966, has completed 61 seasons and just wrapped up 2026 as a member of the American Conference. Head coach Mitch Hannahs returned for his second year after leading the Bulls in 2025 to 32 wins in his debut—South Florida's most since 2018—and 16 victories in conference play, their best league performance since joining the American.
 
South Florida has made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, highlighted by a Super Regional run in 2021. The Bulls have won five conference tournament titles and six regular-season championships.
 
The program has produced 134 MLB Draft picks, including three in 2025. Notable alumni include two-time MLB All-Star and 2018 first-round pick Shane McClanahan, 2022 fifth-round pick Orion Kerkering, and Washington Nationals starting pitcher Brad Lord. Bulls players have earned 12 All-America and 19 Freshman All-America honors.
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