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The Toledo Rockets have a new head baseball in the Glass City after naming Western Kentucky Hilltoppers assistant Rob Reinstetle as the 12th head coach in program history. Reinstetle replaces Cory Mee, who had stepped down back in May. Mee had been the head coach since 2004, compiling a 366-513-1 record. Nick McIntyre had served as the interim head coach since, and there has been no word if he will remain on the Rockets staff.
Reinstetle, an Ohio native, will be a head coach for the first time in his career. Reinstetle is an accomplished recruiter having worked at Ole Miss, South Alabama, the College of Charleston, Northwest Florida State College, and fellow Ohio schools in Ohio Dominican and Cincinnati. Per the UT press release, Reinstetle oversaw a top 50 recruiting class while at South Alabama and schools that have employed Reinstetle own a 449-313-1 record during his tenures.
Reinstetle is no stranger to professional baseball, having served as a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He has coached 79 players drafted in the MLB draft, including current major leaguers Zack Cozart, Brett Gardner, Lance Lynn, Drew Pomeranz and former World Series MVP David Freese.
Toledo baseball finished 17-36 but just 4-21 in the Mid-American Conference. The program has struggled to find success since winning the MAC west division in 2012. The Rockets have never qualified for the NCAA tournament. Reinstetle will try to improve upon those marks. While the college baseball coaching carousel may not generate much buzz, UT appears to have done well here to hire an acclaimed recruiter with strong ties to the state of Ohio.