Former University of Tennessee head coach Rod Delmonico has been selected as manager for The Netherlands National Baseball Team. The 50-year-old Delmonico becomes the 14th American to manage the Dutch squad since longtime Miami coach Ron Fraser began his first stint in Holland in 1960. Current USA National Team coach and former big league player and manager Davey Johnson managed the Dutch team in 2003.
Delmonico is a 1980 graduate of Virginia’s Liberty University, and spent six years as an assistant coach at Florida State before taking the reins at Tennessee in 1990. In 18 seasons with the Volunteers, Delmonico coached teams to nine Southeast Conference tournament titles, 14 NCAA Regional Championships, and six appearances in the College World Series. During his time with the Vols, 73 of his players were taken in the major league draft, including ten first-rounders. In all, 95 of Delmonico’s Tennessee players signed professional contracts, including Todd Helton, Jimmy Key, Luis Alicea and Paul Sorrento.
Delmonico takes over the Dutch National Team from former Yankees infielder Robert Eenhorn, who led the squad for eight years. He inherits a team that is considered Europe’s best, along with Italy, and will manage The Netherlands in next spring’s World Baseball Classic.
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