DAYTONA BEACH, Florida – Former Major League Baseball pitcher John Koronka will join the Embry-Riddle baseball program as an assistant coach. The Clearwater, Florida native will be in charge of the pitching staff and assist in the Blue and Gold recruiting efforts.
 
"We are extremely fortunate to have John as our next pitching coach," ERAU Head Coach Randy Stegall said. 'John has an impressive resume that includes 23 years at the professional baseball level as a player and a professional scout. Playing four years at the Major League level and 13 years total at the professional level gives John the ability to give our pitchers and team first-hand knowledge on what it takes to make it not only in college baseball, but at the professional level. Couple that with a decade of being an MLB scout and he can bring experience in both what it takes to put yourself in a position to be professionally ready as a player, but also what a scout is looking for in a player, both on and off the field."
  Most recently, Koronka was a regional scout in charge of Florida for the Chicago Cubs. He served in that capacity from 2011-20, scouting and signing the likes of Albert Almora, Michael Cruz and Brendon Little. 

"From a recruiting standpoint John has built relationships all over the state of Florida with high school, junior college, and travel ball coaches that will put us in a great position to land high-level players. I have been impressed with John's pitching knowledge and communication skills throughout the interview process and I see no reason why John won't be successful here at Embry-Riddle. Again, we feel extremely lucky to have been able to hire John and look forward to seeing the impact he will have on our team and his impact on future players here at ERAU."

Koronka pitched in four seasons in the Majors from 2005-09, starting games for the Chicago Cubs, Texas Rangers, and Florida Marlins. The left-hander started 23 games in 2006 for the Rangers, racking up seven wins in 125.0 innings of work.
 
Koronka was drafted in the 12^th round of the 1998 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds out of South Lake High School (Groveland, Florida). He made his MLB debut on June 1, 2005 for the Cubs, pitching five innings and getting the win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. While in the Reds organization, Koronka was roommates with former ERAU assistant coach Dave Therneau.
 
Koronka also pitched in Japan for the Orix Buffaloes, as well as in the Independent Atlantic League for the Lancaster Barnstormers and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. In total, Koronka's professional career spanned 14 seasons from 1998-2011.
 
"My family and I are thrilled to start a new chapter in baseball," Koronka said. "I'm ready to get started to continue learning in this game and passing along my 23 years of knowledge in Major League Baseball. Embry-Riddle is a well-established program with a solid name for years. Randy and Chuck (Stegall) continue to do a great job and I can't wait to add to their success." 
 
Koronka takes over for Victor Diaz, who is now a part of the Philadelphia Phillies organization, after two seasons with the Eagles.