Kevin Vance was hired to oversee the Arizona pitching staff by head coach Chip Hale on June 12, 2023. He recently finished his first season with the Wildcats in June 2024.
"We are thrilled to add a proven winner in coach Vance to our program," Hale said at the time of his hiring. "Kevin has built pitching staffs with defined identities and found success at every step on his coaching journey. He consistently displays an elite capacity to leverage analytics to maximize each of his pitcher's abilities. Rounding out our staff with a tough worker and tireless recruiter completes this program and sets us up for immediate and long-term success."
With the Wildcats
Vance, with the help of the Wildcats director of player development John DeRouin, helped engineer one of the greatest pitching turnarounds in the nation in 2024. Arizona's pitching staff improved their team ERA over a run and a half from the previous season, marking the 20th largest ERA improvement in the country and the fifth best among Power Five programs. The Wildcats 1.51 delta from the 2023 team's 5.97 ERA created a impressive 4.46 ERA in 2024, the second-best mark in the Pac-12 and the 21st best nationally.
Fueling the Wildcats turnaround was a staff-wide ability to pound the strike zone, which led to Arizona's pitching corps issuing the fewest walks in Division I (149) while leading the nation with a 3.46 strikeout-to-walk ratio and 2.56 BB/9 rate.
Under Vance's guidance, all three of the Wildcats weekend starters picked up Pac-12 All-Conference selections; it is believe to be the first time in program history that three Arizona starting pitchers earned All-Conference recognition. The trio was led by Cam Walty, who posted an 8-2 record with a team-best 3.29 ERA — the right-hander picked up Third Team All-America recognition from the NCBWA and ABCA All-Region Second Team honors for his efforts.
Fellow right-hander Clark Candiotti and southpaw Jackson Kent also earned All-Conference nods after going a combined 10-8 and posting 3.39 and 4.08 ERAs, respectively. Candiotti struck out 103 batters in 95.2 innings, tied for the most in the conference, while Kent fanned 89 in 86.0 innings. In total, Arizona's weekend rotation finished the year posting the 13th best ERA in the country at 3.83.
Along with the three starting pitchers, right-handed reliever Casey Hintz also earned Pac-12 All-Conference Honorable Mention after undergoing a complete redesign of his arm slot and arsenal with Vance in the offseason.
Following the season, four of Vance's pitchers heard their names called during the 2024 MLB Draft, the most arms selected in a single draft for the Wildcats since 2013. Kent, Candiotti, and Walty — the entirety of the Arizona starting rotation — earned draft selections, along with bullpen ace Anthony Susac.
Before Arizona
Vance joined the Wildcats after serving two seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Boston College where in 2023 he helped lead the Eagles to an NCAA Regional berth, their first since 2016.
Vance was a major contributor to Boston College's program record 37 wins this year while crafting the pitching staff's best ERA since 2019. Under his direction, Eagles right-hander and Division III transfer Chris Flynn earned Second Team All-ACC honors after going 7-3 with a team-leading 4.34 ERA and 84 strikeouts.
Following the 2022 season, three pitchers molded by Vance earned a selection in the Major League Baseball Draft.
Prior to his time in Boston, Vance spent five years at the University of Rhode Island, the last four of which he served as the Rams pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. He was promoted into the role after one year as the program's volunteer assistant coach.
Rhode Island ranked top four in the Atlantic 10 Conference in ERA in all five seasons in which they benefited from Vance's coaching, highlighted by a 3.65 mark in 2017 that paced the league and ranked 31
st nationally. Across five seasons with the Rams, Vance coached one All-American, two Atlantic 10 All-Conference selections, and three Atlantic 10 Pitchers of the Week.
Before entering the coaching ranks, Vance enjoyed a successful collegiate and professional playing career. As a two-way star at UConn from 2009-11 he picked up two All-Big East selections and an All-America nod as a junior. Vance's 13 saves in 2011 and 21 career saves still stand as the fifth and second best marks in Huskies history, respectively.
Following his collegiate career, the Chicago White Sox selected him in the 19
th round of the 2011 MLB Draft. Vance went on to pitch five seasons in organized baseball, reaching as high as Triple-A Reno in 2015. He finished his minor league career with a 20-14 record, 15 saves, 365 strikeouts, and a 3.81 ERA across 177 games.
Vance earned his undergraduate degree in Coaching and Sport Administration from UConn in 2012 and returned to school to earn a master's degree in Sports Leadership from Northeastern in 2016.
Kevin Vance Coaching History
- 2023-current: Arizona, Assistant Coach
- 2022-23: Boston College, Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator
- 2018-21: Rhode Island, Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator
- 2017: Rhode Island, Volunteer Assistant Coach
- 2012: Connecticut, Undergraduate Assistant Coach
Kevin Vance Playing History
- 2016: Team Philippines
- 2016: New Britain Bees (independent Atlantic League)
- 2016: Long Island Ducks (independent Atlantic League)
- 2015: Reno Aces (Triple-A)
- 2015: Mobile Bay Bears (Double-A)
- 2015: Visalia Rawhide (Advanced-A)
- 2013-14: Birmingham Barons (Double-A)
- 2012: Winston-Salem Dash (Advanced-A)
- 2012: Kannapolis Intimidators (Single-A)
- 2011: Great Falls Voyagers (Rookie)
- 2009-11: Connecticut Huskies (NCAA)
*Last updated: 7/1/2024
