SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Santa Clara head coach Dan O'Brien has hired Sean Riley as an assistant coach for his staff. Riley replaces Ryan Leake who left after the end of the 2013 season. Riley joins the Broncos after spending the last two years as the assistant varsity coach at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif.
"I am very excited to embark upon coaching at such an amazing university with a great baseball tradition," said Riley. "Santa Clara University is a place of familiarity to me. It holds the same high values and principles that I do and is the perfect college to transition to from Junipero Serra High School. I am finding that Santa Clara has the same sense of community and caring that I found at Junipero Serra, although on a much bigger scale. Moving from the East Coast to California, I am extremely fortunate to be a part of both. It is an honor to be working with Coach O'Brien and his staff, helping bring to fruition their vision of Bronco Baseball excellence. The integrity with which they hold themselves and the team is second to none. I am dedicated to bringing my knowledge and work ethic to assist this amazing program in achieving all of its goals."
"Sean is as good as it gets," said O'Brien. "He's a family man with outstanding character and work ethic who has been around the game forever. If I were a college baseball player, he's be the guy I'd want to hit in the cages and talk hitting with for hours. He is an awesome all-around coach and human being. We are lucky to have him on our staff."
At Serra, Riley helped lead the team to 2012 and 2013 WCAL Championships and a CCS runner-up finish in 2013. Riley was the hitting and infield coach and the Padres hit .309 as a team in 2013 with a .407 on-base percentage and 21 homeruns. One of his players, Jordan Paroubeck, was the 69th overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres.
Before coaching at Serra, Riley was the head coach for the American Legion baseball team. His team was state-champion runner-up in 2011 and district champions in 2010.
Riley also established and ran a strength and core training program for high school, college and pro athletes from 2002-11 while also running developmental hitting and pitching clinics over the same time.
From 2000-07, Riley founded and ran the first fall baseball program in the greater Lowell Area. He was also the head coach of various youth leagues and summer Elite All-Star teams from 1998-2008.
Riley played 10 seasons of semi-pro baseball in the Stan Musial League and the Inner City League from 1996-2006. He was a three-time all-star as a shortstop and a pitcher. In 1996 he won the state championship with the Lowell Braves.
He played collegiately at Chipola Junior College in 1995 in Mariana, Fla. and Milford Academy in 1994 in Milford, Conn.
Riley attended Lowell High School where he was a three-year standout varsity baseball starter and two-year varsity basketball starter. He was a captain on both teams.