Sean McDermott
Assistant Coach

The UIC baseball program has evolved into a perennial league champion and regional contender over the course of the last decade, and Sean McDermott has played an immense role in the Flames' maturation process every step of the way.

Entering his 12th season as an assistant coach at UIC, McDermott works primarily with UIC's offense and defense, and the Flames have thrived in both departments during his tenure.

Under McDermott's guidance, UIC has flourished and improved at the plate each season. Last season their offense remained a force to be reckoned with due to a balanced mix of average (.297), on-base percentage (.383), power (36 home runs), patience (93 walks) and speed (47 stolen bases).

Execution in key situations helped last year's NCAA Regional team, which ranked in the Top 20 nationally in both sacrifice flies (34) and sacrifice bunts (60).

In 2007 the Flames exploded on the offensive end when it counted most, outscoring their opposition in the Horizon League Championship by a 35-10 margin with a team batting average of .417 and 23 extra-base hits in three games to sweep their way to a league title and NCAA Regional bid.

In 2006 the Flames led the Horizon League in team batting average, home runs, stolen bases and on-base percentage while setting school records in runs per game and hits per game. Eight UIC players hit .300 or better that season to spur a final team batting average of .325. The Flames also hit 115 doubles and 53 home runs while averaging of seven runs of offense per game.

A year earlier the Flames set a school record for runs scored in a single season (429) while batting .307 with 120 doubles to key UIC's road to an NCAA Regional berth.

McDermott has also played a major role in the development of UIC's infielders and catching corps, shoring up the defensive side of the Flames' game while coaching the same players to success at the plate.

While coaching UIC's infielders and catchers, McDermott has helped the Flames consistently turn in one of the Horizon League's top defenses. Last year UIC ranked second in the Horizon League lead in fielding percentage at .968 while allowing the fewest stolen bases (27) in the conference by far. Four of McDermott's catchers at UIC (Nelson Gord, Justin Johnson, Kevin Nelson and Kevin Coddington) and two of his infielders (Jordan DeVoir and Bryan Russo) have moved on to the professional baseball ranks.

McDermott served as the chief recruiter for the Flames during his first nine seasons and was instrumental in bringing the top-notch recruits that have played a big part in resuscitating a program that has gone on to produce well over 300 wins, nine Horizon League regular season titles, four Horizon League tournament crowns and four berths to the NCAA Regionals.

McDermott joined the Flames in 1998 after serving three years as head baseball coach at Viterbo College in LaCrosse, Wis. During his stint with the V-Hawks, the squad set a single-season record for wins with 32 victories in 1997, and then made their first-ever appearance in the NAIA Regional Tournament in 1998.

At Viterbo McDermott's teams set several school records, including runs scored, home runs, walks, hits, RBI, and doubles. In 1997 he led Viterbo to 32 victories, which is the best single-season win total in the program's history.

Prior to his position at Viterbo College, McDermott served as an assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at Princeton University for two seasons. Additionally, he was the head baseball coach at J. Frank White Academy and a graduate assistant coach at Lincoln Memorial University, both located in Harrogate, Tenn.

McDermott began his collegiate playing career as a second baseman at Indian Hills Community College in Centerville, Iowa before transferring to Lincoln Memorial University, where he played shortstop for two seasons.

McDermott, a 1993 graduate of Lincoln Memorial, and his wife, Lois, have three sons: Jack, Joe and Thomas.

John Flood
Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator

Former UIC pitcher John Flood returned to his alma mater in 2009 to don the number 26 once again, this time as the Flames' volunteer assistant coach.

Flood, who was a key member of the 2003 pitching staff that guided the Flames to the school's first-ever NCAA Regional berth, works primarily with the catchers and hitters in addition to serving as the first base coach. He will handle the team's pre-game activities and a variety of other areas on and off the field within the program. Flood is also the director of UIC Baseball Camps.

A native of Mt. Vernon, Ill., Flood originally came to UIC in the fall of 2001 and, after sitting out the 2002 season as a redshirt, made a huge impact in his debut campaign in 2003. He went 6-2 in 13 appearances, starting 10 games, to go with a 3.68 earned run average during UIC's Horizon League tournament title run and inaugural NCAA Regional appearance.

After a torn labrum in his right shoulder that required surgery hampered his collegiate pitching career, Flood entered the coaching ranks. He spent the last two years with the St. Louis Pirates, one of the premier amateur baseball programs in the Midwest, as the club's head coach and director of player development.

During Flood's tenure with the Pirates, the club saw unprecedented success in a variety of areas. It grew over 400%, and in two years over 50 of his players moved on to play college baseball. Around half of those players are competing at the Division I level, including current UIC catcher Nathan Orf. Three of his players were selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft, including Jake Odorizzi, who was taken 32nd overall by the Milwaukee Brewers in 2008.

Flood graduated from UIC with a Bachelor of Science in finance in 2006.

Jeff Gremley
Volunteer Assistant Coach

After a four-year absence from the program, Jeff Gremley returns to UIC as the newest addition to head coach Mike Dee's staff.

Gremley completed his playing career for the Flames in 2005, helping the team march to a Horizon League Tournament title and an appearance in the NCAA Lincoln Regional that season.

The shortstop was a valuable leader for UIC, both on and off the field. He played in 59 of 60 games that season, scoring 45 runs while driving in 33 during the Flames march to the postseason. He tied for the team lead with 16 stolen bases, while legging out 14 doubles and playing solid defense for Dee's group.

Prior to his time in Chicago, Gremley played shortstop from 2002-03 at the University of Iowa where he took the field in 100 out of 101 games for the Hawkeyes.

After completing his collegiate playing career with the Flames in 2005, Gremley returned as an undergraduate assistant coach for UIC during the 2006 campaign. That season, the Flames posted a record 22 wins in Horizon League play en route to the fifth of eight consecutive Horizon League regular season championships.

Gremley moved on to the corporate world, while working at complete his teaching certification from Trinity University. Gremley earned that degree in the spring of 2010.

Coaching has always remained a passion for Gremley as he has coached several youth travel squads and the Lincoln-Way North freshman squad which he led to a 29-2 record last year.

In his return to UIC, Gremley will work alongside assistant coach Sean McDermott with UIC's position players.

Gremley is a native of Frankfort, Ill.