Melendez ‘takes great honor’ in leading team

Alejandro Solana // Staff Writer

New FIU baseball coach Mervyl Melendez said at his press conference that FIU has always been on his radar since he began coaching at the collegiate level. The ex-Alabama State University head coach made it clear that his intention was to “find a new home.”

Melendez said: “This journey started for me many years ago. 20 years ago I became a baseball coach, thinking that one day I would be here. This is one of the few jobs that I looked at as one day could be mine. One day I could be there. One day I can call FIU home. And the day has arrived.”

The day has indeed arrived, but the journey was no quick one. The 42-year-old was born in Carolina, Puerto Rico, the same birthplace of baseball legend and hall of famer, Roberto Clemente. At the age of 13, Melendez moved to Orlando, Florida, where he attended Lake Howell High School in Winter Park.  

The Puerto Rican native spent his playing days at Bethune Cookman, prior to becoming the assistant coach and ultimately the head coach of that program. Melendez spent 12 years as the head coach of the Wildcats and posted a 379-319 record.

After his time at Bethune, it was his tenure at Alabama State that really showed Melendez was one of the most respected young coaches in the nation. With a 158-116 record in his five seasons, Melendez became the third-youngest head coach in Division 1 history to earn his 500th career win.

From the moment Melendez accepted the position as the Panthers’ leading man, he says he understood the responsibility that came with the job.

Melendez said: “For me, I take great honor and I take great pride leading this program. I have a responsibility. I have a responsibility to the administration. I have a responsibility to the alumni. I have a responsibility to our players.”

The players currently on the roster at FIU may have enticed Melendez, but there is no question that the hotbed of talent in the area is what truly lured Melendez to South Florida.

“The excitement comes from the players that are in Miami,” Melendez said. “The talent level here is unlimited.”

Melendez says he “has always recruited in this area.” So it comes to no surprise that he would take a job in the area where he has already established a strong recruiting repertoire.

“This is the area we are going to target first,” Melendez said.  

He also mentioned at the press conference that he wants to keep talent close to FIU instead of the University of Miami.

“We have to stay home,” Melendez said. “We have players in this area that need to stay in this area, not on the other side of Miami.”

As confident as FIU fans may be in their new signing, there is no denying that competing with the University of Miami and the established Jim Morris for recruits in South Florida will be no easy task.

“You start with the idea that you not only want to be successful, but you want to get to a place that you can call home,” Melendez said.

Hopefully for FIU, Melendez and his family will be calling South Florida home for a while.