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Dan Held
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
- Email:
- Phone:
- (812) 855-9155
Dan Held enters his third season as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the IU baseball program in 2021. Before the 2021 season, Held helped the Hoosiers secure the No. 23 ranked recruiting class in then nation. The class was also ranked the best in the Big Ten and was the highest-ranked class in IU history.
In the shortened 2020 season, Held helped lead the Hoosiers to a 9-6 record overall. Indiana recorded three road victories over ranked teams, beating No. 11 LSU, No. 30 South Alabama and No. 17 East Carolina. IU also defeated in-state rival Purdue, 17-2, in seven innings.
In 2019, Held help guide the Hoosiers to the 2019 Big Ten Regular Season title - the seventh in program history and the first for IU since 2014.
Indiana earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, finishing the season with an overall record of 37-23 and a Big Ten mark of 17-7. A school-record 10 Hoosiers were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft, led by outfield Matt Gorski, who was selected in the second round (57th overall). Gorski was the highest-drafted Hoosier since Kyle Schwarber in 2014 (1st round, fourth overall).
Pitcher Andrew Saalfrank was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Big Ten First Team along with utility player Matt Lloyd. Scotty Bradley, Cole Barr and Matt Gorski each made the second team, while Elijah Dunham earned third team laurels. Grant Richardson picked up All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors, while Drew Ashley was named the Sportsmanship Award winner.
"I've known Dan for over 10 years,” said head coach Jeff Mercer at the time of Held's hiring. “He hired me for my first coaching job with the Indiana Bulls directly after college. Working with him over the years it became obvious he'd make a terrific recruiting coordinator. His experiences in professional baseball as a player and coach will translate well to our player development processes. His many relationships with high school and summer coaches will make for a smooth transition into leading our recruiting efforts."
“I am really excited to join Jeff Mercer and Justin Parker at IU,” said Held. “It’s going to be an awesome staff, and I’m really excited to get going.”
Held came to Indiana after serving as the Executive Director of the Indiana Bulls Baseball Organization. He brings nine years of pro baseball playing experience and 16 years coaching experience, including four in the major leagues, to the Hoosiers.
The Bulls is a travel baseball organization based out of Indianapolis that has had the goal of developing homegrown baseball talent in the state of Indiana. Held oversaw the organization, that as of 2018, had a total of 26 teams that ranged from eight to 18 years old. He was responsible for hiring all the coaches within the organization.
Since joining the Bulls organization in November 2006, Held has seen four Bulls players reach the big leagues. Those players include Tucker Barnhart, Micah Johnson, Alex Meyer, and Cameron Perkins. A total of 80 Bulls players have been drafted since Held took over club.
A 42nd round draft pick in 1993 by Philadelphia, Held played nine total seasons in the minors in the Phillies and New York Mets farm systems. He returned to the Phillies organization in 2002 as a hitting coach with Batavia (Short-Season A) and then served as a bullpen assistant with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2003 to 2007 where he was a member of the 2006 World Series Champions coaching staff.
During his minor league career, Held hit 121 career home runs and drove in 474 runs. He spent three seasons at the Triple-A level, playing for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Norfolk.
Held and his wife, Lynn, have a daughter, Téa (17), and a son, Boston (13).
In the shortened 2020 season, Held helped lead the Hoosiers to a 9-6 record overall. Indiana recorded three road victories over ranked teams, beating No. 11 LSU, No. 30 South Alabama and No. 17 East Carolina. IU also defeated in-state rival Purdue, 17-2, in seven innings.
In 2019, Held help guide the Hoosiers to the 2019 Big Ten Regular Season title - the seventh in program history and the first for IU since 2014.
Indiana earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, finishing the season with an overall record of 37-23 and a Big Ten mark of 17-7. A school-record 10 Hoosiers were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft, led by outfield Matt Gorski, who was selected in the second round (57th overall). Gorski was the highest-drafted Hoosier since Kyle Schwarber in 2014 (1st round, fourth overall).
Pitcher Andrew Saalfrank was named the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and earned a spot on the All-Big Ten First Team along with utility player Matt Lloyd. Scotty Bradley, Cole Barr and Matt Gorski each made the second team, while Elijah Dunham earned third team laurels. Grant Richardson picked up All-Big Ten Freshman Team honors, while Drew Ashley was named the Sportsmanship Award winner.
"I've known Dan for over 10 years,” said head coach Jeff Mercer at the time of Held's hiring. “He hired me for my first coaching job with the Indiana Bulls directly after college. Working with him over the years it became obvious he'd make a terrific recruiting coordinator. His experiences in professional baseball as a player and coach will translate well to our player development processes. His many relationships with high school and summer coaches will make for a smooth transition into leading our recruiting efforts."
“I am really excited to join Jeff Mercer and Justin Parker at IU,” said Held. “It’s going to be an awesome staff, and I’m really excited to get going.”
Held came to Indiana after serving as the Executive Director of the Indiana Bulls Baseball Organization. He brings nine years of pro baseball playing experience and 16 years coaching experience, including four in the major leagues, to the Hoosiers.
The Bulls is a travel baseball organization based out of Indianapolis that has had the goal of developing homegrown baseball talent in the state of Indiana. Held oversaw the organization, that as of 2018, had a total of 26 teams that ranged from eight to 18 years old. He was responsible for hiring all the coaches within the organization.
Since joining the Bulls organization in November 2006, Held has seen four Bulls players reach the big leagues. Those players include Tucker Barnhart, Micah Johnson, Alex Meyer, and Cameron Perkins. A total of 80 Bulls players have been drafted since Held took over club.
A 42nd round draft pick in 1993 by Philadelphia, Held played nine total seasons in the minors in the Phillies and New York Mets farm systems. He returned to the Phillies organization in 2002 as a hitting coach with Batavia (Short-Season A) and then served as a bullpen assistant with the St. Louis Cardinals from 2003 to 2007 where he was a member of the 2006 World Series Champions coaching staff.
During his minor league career, Held hit 121 career home runs and drove in 474 runs. He spent three seasons at the Triple-A level, playing for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Norfolk.
Held and his wife, Lynn, have a daughter, Téa (17), and a son, Boston (13).
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