Clarke alum Brian McCabe set to become new head coach for Pride baseball

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Clarke University and Director of Athletics Curt Long are excited to announce the hiring of Brian McCabe as the ninth head coach in the history of the baseball program at CU.

"Brian was previously involved at Clarke during the acceleration of our baseball program," Long said. "He contributed as a player and coach and has since developed into a leader in NAIA baseball. His teams have been successful in a strong conference, and he has produced quality teams and decorated players. We are pleased to welcome him home."

"I want to thank Curt Long and the entire Clarke community for welcoming me home," McCabe said. "This university changed my life and I look forward to offering that opportunity to our future students." 

McCabe takes over the baseball program following the resignation of Dan Spain, who stepped down following his 11 seasons as Pride head coach to pursue other opportunities, as assistant coach Andrew Redman will join Spain in their future endeavors.

"We will miss Dan and Andrew and thank them for their stupendous work at Clarke," Long said.

Prior to this return to Dubuque for McCabe, he served as the head coach at Benedictine University Mesa in Mesa, Ariz. for the previous five seasons where he compiled a 176-78-1 record for the Redhawks baseball program since 2019 that included two trips to the NAIA Tournament (2021, 2023). 

He bookended his tenure at BenU Mesa with 40-win seasons in 2019 (45-15-1) and 2023 (44-14) where he received California Pacific Conference Coach of the Year in each season as the Redhawks earned the Cal-Pac Regular Season Championship most recently in 2023.

McCabe also played a pivotal role in establishing the BenU Mesa baseball, serving as an assistant coach for the first two years of the program in 2017 and 2018, handling a good portion of the recruiting duties as well as serving as pitching coach for a program that went 76-35. The pitching staff he developed spawned an NAIA All-American, Cal Pac Pitcher of the Year, three All-Cal Pac pitchers and four different Cal Pac Pitchers of the Week. 

The Lena, Ill. native competed at Clarke as a left-handed pitcher for the Pride from 2009 to 2013 where he would go on to spend two years on the Clarke baseball coaching staff  before departing for Phoenix College to continue his coaching career then eventually arriving at BenU Mesa.

"Clarke Baseball isn't going anywhere," McCabe said. "I am a product of Dan's success and we look forward to keeping the tradition alive. Our brand of baseball will be exciting and fun for the entire community to come be a part of. I am ecstatic to see you all in the community and out at AJ Spiegel Park!"