Jay Sirianni Position: Assistant Coach Experience: 7th year Alma Mater: Nebraska, 2001

In his seventh year as UT Arlington pitching coach, Jay Sirianni faces the challenge of rebuilding the Mavericks' entire weekend starting rotation. That challenge is growing customary for Sirianni, who replaced two of three starters a year ago.

It worked out well for Sirianni in 2010. UTA pitchers set program records with 464 strikeouts, led by Jason Mitchell who broke records in single-game strikeout records (18 against Missouri State) and single-season strikeouts (113) . It marked the second consecutive year that Sirianni's pitching staff broke the school's strikeout record.

The three weekend pitchers - Rett Varner, Mitchell and Logan Bawcom - were all selected in the first 17 rounds of the Major League Baseball draft. They combined to go 20-15 with eight complete games and 206.1 innings pitched. Bawcom also had five saves.

Sirianni was promoted to recruiting coordinator in November 2007, when UTA named Darin Thomas its head coach.

Sirianni led the Mavericks pitching staff to a 4.38 ERA in 2009, which led the Southland Conference. Three of his pitchers ranked in the top nine in the SLC in ERA and the Mavericks also posted a league-best 4.00 during SLC competition.

The Mavericks tallied a then-school-record 410 strikeouts as a team. Nathan Long led the SLC with 104 strikeouts -- a school record Mitchell broke last year. Long had the sixth-best ERA in the conference (3.76), lefty Ryan Robinson (3.89) ranked eighth and Varner (3.95) finished ninth in the league.

The pitching staff's 4.38 ERA was the team's lowest since 2004. Sirianni's pitching staff tallied five shutouts, matching the most by a UTA staff since 1995.

Five of Sirianni's pitchers were either drafted or signed a professional contract with a Major League organization following the 2009 season. Long was drafted in the 26th round by the Oakland Athletics and Varner was taken by the Chicago Cubs in the 34th round. Long signed just days after the draft while Varner opted to return for his redshirt-junior season. Andy Sauter (Milwaukee Brewers), Matt Otteman (Seattle Mariners) and Andrew Kainer (Florida Marlins) signed free agent contracts. All five players were selected as pitchers.

Since Sirianni arrived to the Mavericks' program in 2005, there have been 16 pitchers who have signed with an MLB organization.

The UT Arlington pitching staff helped secure five wins over nationally-ranked opponents in 2009, which included a sweep over No. 25 Minnesota, and wins against No. 7 Baylor, No. 17 Oklahoma and No. 25 Texas State. In those five victories, the Mavericks staff allowed an average of only 4.4 runs per game.

Over the past three seasons, the Mavericks have defeated every Big 12 opponent they have faced at least once.

One of the top prospects Sirianni has mentored was Dillon Gee, who put his name in several all-time Maverick record books before being selected in by the New York Mets in the 21st round of the 2007 MLB Draft. Gee made his MLB debut in September of 2010. As a UTA player, Gee racked up 10 wins in his final two seasons, and led the team his junior season in ERA (4.67), strikeouts (96), innings pitched (111.2) and complete games (4).

Sirianni had his hands full in the 2006 season when the Mavericks returned only one pitcher from the previous season. Sirianni molded his young staff into a group that helped the Mavs to one of their best starts in conference action (10-0) and to the team's first Southland Conference Tournament championship since 2001. Two of the Mavericks SLC All-Tournament Team selections were pitchers, including Tournament MVP Ryan Riddle.

Before his arrival at UT Arlington, Sirianni spent three seasons as the pitching coach at Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kan. While at Barton County, Sirianni helped lead the Cougars to a 113-56 record with a pitching staff ERA of 4.69. His first season saw the Cougars post a 44-14 overall record, setting a school-record for wins in a season.

Prior to his time at BCCC, Sirianni spent the summer of 2001 as an assistant coach for the Liberal (Kan.) Bee Jays of the Jayhawk League.

He began his collegiate playing career at Texas A&M before transferring to Nebraska to play for head coach Dave Van Horn. In four years in Lincoln, Sirianni compiled a 15-9 record and was the Friday night starter in 1999.

Sirianni was named a team captain as a senior in 1999 and went 6-3 with a save leading the Huskers to a Big 12 Tournament title, 42 wins and the school's first NCAA appearance since 1985. He tossed his second career complete-game to finish a series sweep over Texas. In his junior season, Sirianni led the Huskers with five wins and 56.2 innings pitched. He tossed a complete game to earn a victory over the Longhorns by allowing four runs on nine hits.

Sirianni became linked to NCAA history during his senior season as he was the winning pitcher in the most lopsided game in NCAA history when the Huskers defeated Chicago State 50-3 in the second game of a March, 16, 1999 doubleheader. Sirianni earned the win by retiring all six batters he faced in a predetermined two-inning appearance.

In the summer of 1998, Sirianni was a member of the Liberal Bee Jays that advanced to the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan. That team was coached by current UT Arlington head coach Darin Thomas and the late Clay Gould.

Following his career at Nebraska, Sirianni was signed as a free agent by the Cleveland Indians. Sirianni began his professional career with the Burlington Indians (Rookie League) and also spent time with the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (New York-Penn League) and Kingston Indians (Carolina League).

After finishing his pro career in January 2001, Sirianni returned to Nebraska for his final semester and earned a bachelor's degree in history in May 2001.

Sirianni is a native of Indianola, Iowa, and played his prep career at Indianola High School. He earned 10 varsity letters with four coming in baseball and three each in track and field and football. He was a two-time All-State selection and a three-time All-Conference pick. Sirianni's father, John, is the Director of Athletics at Division III Simpson College in Indianola after spending 20 years as the school's head baseball coach. His brother, Mike, is a high school baseball coach in Jonesboro, Ark.

Sirianni married the former Erin McKernan on Sept. 2, 2006. The couple celebrated the birth of their first child, Mia, in September of 2010.