Alan Kunkel - Baseball Coach

Alan Kunkel

Title:
Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator

Alan Kunkel enters his second season as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at UAB. Kunkel joins the Blazers following two seasons at the University of South Florida. During his tenure with the Bulls, Kunkel worked primarily with the hitters.

USF made its 14th NCAA Regional appearance in 2021 after winning the American Athletic Conference Tournament Championship. The Bulls went on to win the Gainesville Regional and appear in the program's first-ever NCAA Super Regional. USF became just the seventh regional No. 4 seed to ever advance to a Super Regional.

During the 2021 season, the Bulls won the American Conference Tournament Championship to advance to its 14th NCAA Regional. The Bulls went on to win the Gainesville Regional and appear in the program's first-ever NCAA Super Regional. USF became just the seventh regional No. 4 seed to ever advance to a Super Regional.

In the shortened 2020 season, Kunkel developed a young team that featured five freshman in the starting lineup. The Bulls offense totaled 52 RBIs with 24 extra base hits.

Prior to South Florida, Kunkel served four seasons as the head coach and Director of Baseball Operations at Calvary Christian Academy in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He led the program to a pair of Class 4A state titles during his tenure.

Kunkel coached and developed Raynel Delgado, a sixth-round selection in the 2018 MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians. He also coached pitcher Jake Eder, who was drafted in 2017 by the New York Mets before honoring his collegiate commitment to Vanderbilt. Eder pitched and won Game 3 of the College World Series, as he helped the Commodores earn their second national title in the last six years.

Aside from coaching, Kunkel has served as an associate scout with the Toronto Blue Jays, evaluating talent of area high school and collegiate players since 2017. He held the same title with the San Diego Padres from November 2010 to August 2017.

Kunkel played at Glen Oaks Community College in Centreville, Mich., from 1995-1997. He then transferred to the University of North Carolina, where he played in Chapel Hill from 1997-1998. His UNC team was a NCAA Regional finalist in 1998 and was ranked in the top 15.