Baseball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- j.mercadante@unf.edu
Joe Mercadante was tabbed as the fourth head coach in North Florida baseball history on June 23, 2023.
In two seasons at UNF, Mercadante has compiled an overall record of 48-59-1 with a 26-32-1 record in ASUN Conference play.
Following his second season at North Florida, Mercadante guided former UNF outfielder Nick Monile to an undrafted free agent contract with the Milwaukee Brewers. Monile was named a 2025 ASUN Third Team All-Conference selection. He ranked 21st nationally and led the ASUN Conference in walks in 2025.
Prior to North Florida, Mercadante was an assistant coach at Pittsburgh from 2021-23. Mercadante primarily worked with the outfielders and assisted in the recruiting and offensive efforts.
Pitt ascended in 2022 under Mercadante’s guidance, posting a winning record with 29 victories, which tied the program’s most single-season wins since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014. Mercadante helped Pitt qualify for the ACC Tournament in two straight seasons, and for just the third time since joining the ACC (2014).Â
With Mercadante’s tutelage, Pitt ended the 2022 regular season with an RPI ranking of 69, the 37th-toughest strength of schedule, 12 wins against quadrant one teams and 10 wins against the NCAA Tournament field.
Before Pitt, Mercadante spent four seasons at Stetson as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator from 2017-21. During that stint, Stetson hosted a regional and went to the 2018 Super Regionals, finishing just one win shy of the College World Series. Mercadante helped Stetson claim both the ASUN regular season and tournament championships and tied the school record for victories (48), including a program-best 18-game winning streak in 2018. That Stetson team achieved as high as a No. 7 ranking nationally.
While at Stetson, Mercadante served as the primary hitting coach while working directly with the catchers. In addition, he was named recruiting coordinator following the 2018 season. In Mercadante’s first season at Stetson, it finished seventh in the nation in triples with 23, the most by a Division I program in a season since 2000.
Mercadante guided former Stetson pitcher Brooks Wilson’s transition from a weekend starter to winning the John Olerud Award as the nation’s best two-way player. In his role as closer, Wilson led the nation in saves. As cleanup hitter, he was named the ASUN Player of the Year in addition to earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the NCAA DeLand Regional.
Prior to his stint at Stetson, Mercadante was the head coach of the Central Florida Gators from 2013-17, ranked as one of the top travel team programs in the nation by Perfect Game. Mercadante produced three Under Armor All-Americans, three Perfect Game All-Americans and two players who went on to play for USA Baseball.
Mercadante spent one season as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at UCF in 2012. During his one campaign with the Knights, Mercadante helped lead UCF to an NCAA Regional Championship appearance and a No. 10 national ranking during the 2012 regular season. He helped five UCF players receive all-conference honors and three players get selected in the 2012 MLB Draft.
Preceding his time at UCF, Mercadante spent seven seasons at Miami working with the UM’s hitters and catchers from 2004-11. In addition to scheduling games and assisting in recruiting efforts, Mercadante helped Miami make seven-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including four regional championships (2005, 2006, 2008, 2010) and two College World Series appearances (2006, 2008).
In 2011, Mercadante helped Miami to a 38-23 overall record, a 40th overall appearance in the NCAA Regional and a No. 22 ranking in the final Baseball America Top-25 poll of the season. Under his guidance, Miami hit .275 as a team with 547 hits, including 114 doubles, 12 triples and 43 home runs, to go along with 333 runs scored and a .376 on-base percentage.
Former Miami catcher Yasmani Grandal’s development was guided by Mercadante. Grandal was not only a Johnny Bench Award finalist and named the ACC Player of the Year, but was also a first-round selection in the MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds in 2010. Grandal currently serves as the starting catcher for the Chicago White Sox.
During the 2010 season at Miami, Mercadante’s offense hit .295 and became the first squad in program history to hit 100 home runs or more, 20 triples and steal more than 100 bases, while being one of only two teams in the country to achieve the 100+ mark in both home runs and stolen bases.
Other MLB players coached by Mercadante at Miami include former MVP Ryan Braun, Yonder Alonso, John Jay, Danny Valencia, Jemile Weeks, Blake Tekotte and Chris Perez.
The Hurricanes were ranked No. 1 for the majority of the 2008 season, with Mercadante aiding Miami as the team hit .320 with the second-most home runs (106) in school history. The 711 hits in 2008 were 10th all-time while UM also ranked ninth in doubles (135), eighth in RBI (517), eighth in total bases (1,202) and fourth in slugging percentage (.541).
Mercadante’s first Johnny Bench Award finalist at Miami was catcher Eddy Rodriguez, who hit .318 with 64 hits offensively, while catching 15 runners stealing and picking off five from behind the plate in 2006.
A graduate from P.K. Yonge High School in 1999, Mercadante was a four-year letterman and named the team MVP as a senior. Out of high school, Mercadante attended Jefferson Davis Community College in Brewton, Ala., and led the team to a JUCO Regional title and a berth in the Junior College World Series.
Mercadante then transferred to Delgado Junior College in New Orleans for his sophomore season. From there, he played at Florida in 2002 and hit .471 in a reserve role for UF.
After serving as an assistant coach at P.K. Yonge in 2004, Mercadante coached summer baseball in the Virginia Valley League with the Covington Lumberjacks.
Mercadante is a 2003 graduate of Florida, where he earned a bachelor’s degree, Cum Laude, in Exercise and Sports Sciences in 2003. He earned his master’s degree in the same field from Florida in 2006.
Mercadante and his wife, Katie have two sons, Roman and CT.
