Photo by: Seton Hall Athletics
Cundari Hired as Baseball Pitching Coach
Jul 21 | Baseball
Veteran coach earned 2011 National Pitching Coach of the Year
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Rutgers baseball has hired Phil Cundari as pitching coach, head coach Joe Litterio announced Friday. The 2011 National Pitching Coach of the Year, the native of Cliffside Park, New Jersey, spent the last 17 seasons on the staff at Seton Hall. He previously earned a master's degree from Rutgers in 1990.
"I am excited to have Phil join our staff," Litterio said. "His work ethic and commitment to the development of student-athletes is second to none. Phil was my number one choice in this process. He knows the ins and outs of pitching. He is a relentless recruiter and I am excited about where we can go in the Big Ten and nationally."
"I'm honored to join Rutgers baseball," Cundari said. "I want to thank our AD Pat Hobbs and his staff and my head coach Joe Litterio for this opportunity. I look forward to demanding the highest standards from myself and our pitching staff, and together rise to the challenge in this great conference.
"It has been a privilege to recruit, teach, coach and develop young men at the university I love. I will always be thankful to Rob Sheppard, Mike and Phyllis Sheppard and the Seton Hall community. I wish Seton Hall and Seton Hall baseball great success moving forward."
Cundari guided the Seton Hall pitching staff to either first or second in the Big East in ERA in six of the past seven seasons, with a 2.68 mark in 2011 to rank No. 8 nationally. That team won the Big East title and made an NCAA Regional appearance that season with 426 strikeouts, a .240 batting average against and only 7.95 hits allowed per nine innings (No. 19 nationally) on the mound. Cundari was awarded National Pitching Coach of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and promoted to associate head coach following the campaign.
Most recently, Cundari oversaw a staff that hurled seven shutouts in 2017, including a no-hitter, after having five blankings in the previous season with a perfect game. Seton Hall pitchers have held opponents to a .238 and .228 average in each of the past two seasons with a combined 909 strikeouts. In addition, Cundari had 14 protégés named All-Big East since 2011 with six earning first-team status and Josh Prevost claiming Big East Pitcher of the Year and All-America honors in 2014. Joe DiRocco also collected All-America standing in 2011.
Cundari had three pitchers selected in the 2017 MLB Draft and a fourth signed as a free agent. Overall, 28 hurlers were selected or signed by major league organizations during his time as in South Orange.
A standout pitcher at Seton Hall during his playing days, Cundari ranks second in program history in career wins (26), fifth in games started (36) and seventh in strikeouts (217) while playing just three seasons. He capped off his career in fine fashion, garnering Big East Pitcher of the Year and Second Team All-America honors in 1985 after winning 12 games, striking out 98 and posting a 1.74 earned run average. Cundari's 1.22 ERA in Big East games still stands as a conference record. He was inducted into Seton Hall's Hall of Fame in February 2010.
Cundari was drafted in the fourth round by the Oakland Athletics in 1985 and pitched four seasons in the organization, reaching as high as the AA level in 1987 before his career was cut short by an arm injury.
Off the baseball field, Cundari runs his own private practice as a sports performance consultant. A licensed psychotherapist, he specializes in peak performance and mental toughness training for athletes of all levels.
Cundari earned his bachelor's of social work form Seton Hall in 1989 and completed his master's degree in psychiatric social work from Rutgers in 1990. Cundari and his wife Trish currently reside in Shrewsbury, New Jersey. They have two children, Christina and Philip.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding baseball, follow the program on Twitter (@BaseballRU), Instagram (@rutgersbaseball), Facebook (/BaseballRU) and Snapchat (rutgersbaseball).
"I am excited to have Phil join our staff," Litterio said. "His work ethic and commitment to the development of student-athletes is second to none. Phil was my number one choice in this process. He knows the ins and outs of pitching. He is a relentless recruiter and I am excited about where we can go in the Big Ten and nationally."
"I'm honored to join Rutgers baseball," Cundari said. "I want to thank our AD Pat Hobbs and his staff and my head coach Joe Litterio for this opportunity. I look forward to demanding the highest standards from myself and our pitching staff, and together rise to the challenge in this great conference.
"It has been a privilege to recruit, teach, coach and develop young men at the university I love. I will always be thankful to Rob Sheppard, Mike and Phyllis Sheppard and the Seton Hall community. I wish Seton Hall and Seton Hall baseball great success moving forward."
Cundari guided the Seton Hall pitching staff to either first or second in the Big East in ERA in six of the past seven seasons, with a 2.68 mark in 2011 to rank No. 8 nationally. That team won the Big East title and made an NCAA Regional appearance that season with 426 strikeouts, a .240 batting average against and only 7.95 hits allowed per nine innings (No. 19 nationally) on the mound. Cundari was awarded National Pitching Coach of the Year by Collegiate Baseball and promoted to associate head coach following the campaign.
Most recently, Cundari oversaw a staff that hurled seven shutouts in 2017, including a no-hitter, after having five blankings in the previous season with a perfect game. Seton Hall pitchers have held opponents to a .238 and .228 average in each of the past two seasons with a combined 909 strikeouts. In addition, Cundari had 14 protégés named All-Big East since 2011 with six earning first-team status and Josh Prevost claiming Big East Pitcher of the Year and All-America honors in 2014. Joe DiRocco also collected All-America standing in 2011.
Cundari had three pitchers selected in the 2017 MLB Draft and a fourth signed as a free agent. Overall, 28 hurlers were selected or signed by major league organizations during his time as in South Orange.
A standout pitcher at Seton Hall during his playing days, Cundari ranks second in program history in career wins (26), fifth in games started (36) and seventh in strikeouts (217) while playing just three seasons. He capped off his career in fine fashion, garnering Big East Pitcher of the Year and Second Team All-America honors in 1985 after winning 12 games, striking out 98 and posting a 1.74 earned run average. Cundari's 1.22 ERA in Big East games still stands as a conference record. He was inducted into Seton Hall's Hall of Fame in February 2010.
Cundari was drafted in the fourth round by the Oakland Athletics in 1985 and pitched four seasons in the organization, reaching as high as the AA level in 1987 before his career was cut short by an arm injury.
Off the baseball field, Cundari runs his own private practice as a sports performance consultant. A licensed psychotherapist, he specializes in peak performance and mental toughness training for athletes of all levels.
Cundari earned his bachelor's of social work form Seton Hall in 1989 and completed his master's degree in psychiatric social work from Rutgers in 1990. Cundari and his wife Trish currently reside in Shrewsbury, New Jersey. They have two children, Christina and Philip.
Follow Rutgers Athletics on Facebook and Twitter (@RUAthletics) for all of the latest news and updates. For specific updates regarding baseball, follow the program on Twitter (@BaseballRU), Instagram (@rutgersbaseball), Facebook (/BaseballRU) and Snapchat (rutgersbaseball).
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