Keller Joins Michigan Diamond Staff as Pitching Coach
8/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan head baseball coach Rich Maloney has announced the addition of Bob Keller to his coaching staff. Keller, who spent the past three seasons at Birmingham-Southern, replaces John Lowery as Michigan's pitching coach. He becomes just the second pitching coach for Maloney in his 10 years as a college head coach.
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A native of Long Beach, Calif., Keller will be in his 11th season as an assistant coach. He spent seven seasons as an assistant at Georgia State, serving three years as recruiting coordinator, and worked the last three seasons as the pitching coach at Birmingham-Southern.
Keller helped BSC make the move to NCAA Division I status, and his Panthers pitching staff had the best ERA in the Big South Conference three straight seasons. Four of Keller's pitchers at BSC were offered pro contracts in the last three seasons.
In 2004 the Panthers were 47-18 (21-3 Big South), ranked 29th in the nation with a 3.82 ERA and placed third in NCAA regional action in Athens, Ga. The 21 wins set a Big South record as the Panthers captured the regular-season crown.
Maloney had a chance to see Keller's pitching staff in action when four BSC pitchers combined to pitch a shutout against Ball State pitching ace Bryan Bullington in 2002. Maloney gained revenge when his first-year Wolverines topped BSC 10-6 in 2003.
Keller was a two-time NCCAA (National Christian College Athletic Association) All-American while pitching and playing outfield at Biola University in La Mirada, Calif. Upon his graduation in 1992 Keller held school records for RBI and doubles and ranked second in hits and home runs. He defeated Texas Tech with a complete-game effort in his first career start as a freshman at Biola.
Keller continued his playing career with Athletes in Action tours in Alaska, Australia, China and the Philippines in 1991 and 1993. In 1992 he served as the head coach of a semipro team based in Sundsvall, Sweden. He served as a player/coach in 1994 with the Kelowna Grizzlies of the Pacific International League and in 1995 with the Lafayette Leopards of the Mid America League. He served as pitching coach for the Leopards.
In the summer of 1998 Keller earned Manager of the Year honors as the head coach of the Rocky Mount Rock Fish in the Coastal Plain League.
Keller, 34, earned a B.S. in physical education at Biola in 1992 and a B.S. in kinesiology at Georgia State in 1998. He is married to the former Jeannie Glasgow of Seattle and they have a son, Charles (1).
Contact: Jim Schneider (734) 763-4423
