John McCormack was named the new head baseball coach at Florida Atlantic University on Tuesday. McCormack succeeds Kevin Cooney who retired after 21 years as coach.

“This is a tremendous opportunity and one that I’m excited to take on,” says McCormack. “Florida Atlantic baseball has a strong history, but not one that can be rested upon. I assure our fans, alumni and the community that my staff and I will work tirelessly to provide a great collegiate experience for our players and those who come to watch us play.”

After 18 years as an assistant to Cooney, McCormack was officially promoted in a July 1 press conference at the Tom Oxley Athletic Center on FAU’s Boca Raton Campus. He has been Cooney’s chief recruiter for the last 16 years. In his time at FAU, McCormack has seen 73 FAU players continue their baseball careers professionally.

McCormack, a Boca Raton resident, is a graduate of Pope John Paul II and Lynn University. His ties to local coaches will be a key in his continued recruitment of players.

Despite Cooney’s endorsement of McCormack for the job, FAU Athletic Director Craig Angelos still conducted a nationwide search for other possible candidates. In the end, it was determined that McCormack was the right man for the position.

“John is a young man who has proven his commitment to building FAU into a winning baseball program,” says Angelos. “His life-long ties to the community are assets to the program, but the respect of past players, as well as high school and junior college coaches, is sure to pay dividends as we grow this program into a national contender. I believe he will take us to the next level and that means [the College World Series in] Omaha.”