Mervyl Melendez

Mervyl Melendez is a Puerto Rican college baseball coach who is the current head coach of the FIU Panthers baseball team. He has held the position since June 28, 2016.

Prior to accepting the job at Alabama State, Melendez was the head coach at Bethune-Cookman, leading his alma mater to eleven Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championships in his twelve seasons. As coach at Bethune-Cookman, Melendez led the team two back-to-back undefeated conference seasons in 2010 and 2011. His teams also won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament every year from 2000 through 2011, with the exception of 2005. He won 379 games as coach of the Wildcats, and in 2009 became the second-youngest coach in NCAA history to win 300 games.[1][2]

Melendez played for Bethune-Cookman from 1993 through 1996, seeing time at third base and as a relief pitcher. At his playing career's end, he held program records in doubles (30) and batting average (.342). Melendez earned all-conference and all-tournament honors in 1995 and 1996. Following the end of his playing career, Melendez became an assistant coach for the Wildcats. During his tenure as an assistant, the team won the 1999 MEAC Tournament.[1]