DBU Baseball's Dan Fitzgerald has been named the team's Associate Head Coach, as announced by Patriots' Head Coach Dan Heefner today.  Fitzgerald, who has served as DBU's Recruiting Coordinator and Assistant Coach for the past four years, has played a key role in helping to build a Patriots' team that has advanced to the NCAA postseason in each of the last three seasons.

"Dan is a perfect fit at DBU.  He is a man of faith and integrity and has proven to be one of the top recruiters and coaches in the country," Heefner said.  "Dan is a big reason why there is so much excitement around the future of DBU Baseball and I look forward to working with him for years to come."

Since Fitzgerald arrived at DBU in 2013, the Patriots have landed 25 players on the Missouri Valley All-Conference Team that were recruited and signed by Fitzgerald, including this year's MVC Player of the Year, Darick Hall, the league's Pitcher of the Year, Colin Poche, and the Co-Freshman of the Year in the conference, Jameson Hannah.  On the national level, three Patriots have earned All-American honors, including Darick Hall (2016), Colin Poche (2016), and Chance Adams (2015).

At the professional level, 10 of Fitzgerald's signees at DBU have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft.  In 2016, the Patriots saw five players taken in the MLB Draft, highlighted by David Martinelli, who was a sixth round selection of the Philadelphia Phillies.

Fitzgerald's recruiting efforts have also been recognized nationally, as Collegiate Baseball ranked DBU's 2016 recruiting class No. 32 in the nation and tops in the Missouri Valley Conference.  DBU's 2016 class featured six high school All-Americans, as well as the Louisville Slugger National High School Pitcher of the Year.

Fitzgerald came to DBU from Des Moines Area Community College in Boone, Iowa, where he was the head coach from 2008 - 2012.  In his five years at the helm of DMACC, Fitzgerald was awarded Coach of the Year honors by 13 different publications, as his Bears won five consecutive conference championships and advanced to the Junior College World Series on four separate occasions.  Fitzgerald also saw 36 players sign with NCAA Division I programs from all over the country, coached nine Junior College All-Americans, including the 2009 National Player of the Year, and helped develop 14 draft picks.

Fitzgerald began his coaching career at the University of Iowa in 2000, where he was on the same staff as former DBU Assistant Coach, Travis Wyckoff.  Fitzgerald also coached at Northern Iowa Community College, Flagler College, and was an assistant at DMACC under Wyckoff before assuming the reigns when Wyckoff left for DBU in 2008
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During his four seasons at DBU, the Patriots have advanced to the NCAA Tournament three times and posted a record of 160-85. DBU has also won a pair of Missouri Valley Conference Tournament championships and clinched the 2016 MVC regular-season title.