Justin Blood is in his second season as an assistant coach at UConn. He spent the summer of 2005 as the pitching coach for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod League before joining the University of Connecticut baseball program in August. Blood, a former professional baseball player, is the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for the Huskies.
Under Blood’s direction, the UConn pitching staff posted a 3.47 earned run average, its lowest since the 1989 season. The Huskies’ team ERA was good for second in the BIG EAST and 17th in the nation. At the conclusion of the season, Tim Norton and Nick Tucci were named to the All-BIG EAST First Team. In fact, Norton, Tucci and John Slusarz were each taken in the Major League Baseball Draft in early June.
“Justin is an excellent communicator,” said Penders. “His professional experience, work ethic and organizational skills are true assets to our program.”
Blood was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2001 and excelled in the minor leagues before retiring to pursue coaching on the collegiate level. Upon retirement, Blood had accumulated a 3.97 ERA in 82 games as a minor league player with a 7-4 record. He helped to lead the Inland Empire 66ers to the California League Class A title in 2003, posting a 5-2 record with two saves and a 3.07 ERA with 77 strikeouts and just 27 walks in 58.2 innings out of the bullpen.
The New Hampshire native joined the coaching staff at Quinnipiac University in 2003, serving as a volunteer coach. In 2004, he returned to his alma mater, Franklin Pierce College, to complete his degree and work as the baseball team’s student assistant. Prior to assisting, Blood played three years for Franklin Pierce before being drafted. He ranks among career leaders at the college with 235 strikeouts (second), 12 wins (fourth) and a 4.62 ERA (seventh) in 204.2 innings (fourth) over 38 appearances (third) with 12 complete games (fourth). In 2001, he struck out a program-record 20 New Hampshire College batters, which still ranks fifth in NCAA Division II single-game history.
Blood married the former Hannah Walters in September 2006. The couple resides in Vernon, Conn.
