JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The University of North Florida baseball coach, Tim Parenton, announced the hiring of assistant coaches Andrew Hannon and Tommy Boss.

"Andrew and Tommy are great additions to our Osprey staff," Parenton said. "They have a wealth of knowledge and experience to lead our players on and off the field. When building a staff you look for energetic, knowledgeable, and loyal people and they fit all three categories for us at UNF."

Hannon, a former UNF baseball player, has been on the Ospreys' coaching staff since August of 2011.  He has served as the team's third base coach and is responsible for coordinating team travel, scheduling and other day-to-day tasks.

"First and foremost, I am grateful for the opportunity to remain at my alma mater and work with a great friend and mentor," Hannon said. "It's a fantastic opportunity for Tim, Tommy and I to continue the strong baseball tradition that has been created over the last 30 years at my alma mater. I'm excited to work with this staff and develop the young men in our program into great people and athletes in their time here at the University of North Florida."

As a player, Hannon was honored by the Atlantic Sun Conference as a member of the 2011 All-Academic Team.  He boasted a career batting average of .327, going 177-for-541 with 34 doubles and six home runs to his credit.  The Jacksonville native was the ultimate utility player for the Ospreys, seeing time in the field at first base, second base, shortstop and third base in the outfield, while also stepping in as the designated hitter.  Prior to the 2010 season, he was named to the initial Brooks Wallace Shortstop Watch List.

Hannon concluded his career ranking in UNF's career top 10 in games started with 133.  He also finished towards the top of the record books in at bats (541), runs scored (102), hits (177), doubles (34), runs batted in (96) and total bases (229).

In the summer of 2011, Hannon worked as an assistant coach with the Lacrosse Loggers of the Northwoods League. He coached first base while working with the hitters and the infielders. 

During the summer of 2010, Hannon served as the head junior varsity coach for Nease High School in Jacksonville, Fla. 

Boss was a four-year pitcher for the University of Florida from 2002-05 and was part of two NCAA Regional Tournament teams, including the SEC Champions and National Runner-Up team his senior season. He was named to the Freshman All-American Honorable Mention team and was a three-time Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll member.

"I am extremely excited for the opportunity to come to the University of North Florida, a program that I feel is a sleeping giant," Boss said. "What makes this opportunity even better is being able to work for a person as good as Tim Parenton. I was lucky enough to play for TP and know that his leadership and knowledge of the game of baseball will help take UNF to new heights. I cannot wait to meet all the guys and get to work."

Boss made 75 appearances as a Gator including 39 starts, four complete games and 263.1 innings pitched during his career. He boasted a career 3.00 NCAA Postseason ERA with a 4-1 record in eight appearances, five starts, three complete games and 45.0 innings pitched. During his senior campaign, he was 3-0 in the postseason with a 2.22 ERA, two complete games and 28.1 innings pitched.

Following his collegiate career, Boss played one season with the Joliet Jackhammers and collected two wins in 35 innings pitched in relief.

Boss started his coaching career as the head coach at Dunnellon High School from 2007-11 before returning in 2015. He owned a 122-88 record during his tenure at the school. During his time at Dunnellon, his teams made a Final Four appearance, were Regional Champions and made Regional Finals and Semi-Final appearances. Boss was also a three-time Florida Athletic Coaches Association District Coach of the Year.

Between his stints at Dunnellon, Boss was the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at St. Johns River State College (Fla.) from 2012-14. During the 2013 season, the team set a school record with 38 wins and collected its first Mid-Florida Conference Championship since 1977.

The following season, the Vikings collected back-to-back conference championships and finished the season ranked second in the state and fifth in the nation.
In his three seasons at St. Johns river, the teams boasted a 98-60 record, had a team ERA of 2.62 in 2013, good for fifth in the nation, ranked 13th in the nation with a 2.99 ERA in 2014 with 389 strikeouts, ranking 20th in the nation.