Baseball
- Title:
- Assisstant Coach
- Email:
- jzulli@ia.ua.edu
- Phone:
- 205-348-4029
Now in his third season with the Crimson Tide, Jerry Zulli was officially announced as Alabama’s hitting coach on June 9, 2017. Zulli, who boasts nearly 20 years of experience as a collegiate coach, was the first addition to head coach Brad Bohannon’s staff and brings a wealth of experience to UA.
During his 18 total seasons as an assistant coach, Zulli has built a reputation as a tireless recruiter and one of the top hitting coaches in college baseball. Prior to his time in Tuscaloosa, Zulli spent the 2017 season at Louisiana Tech, was with the Missouri staff for the 2016 campaign and was at South Alabama for four seasons from 2011-15. He began his Division I coaching career at Memphis for seven years prior to USA, spanning 2004-10. Zulli got his start in collegiate coaching at Middle Georgia College from 2002-04.
Under Zulli’s direction, the Alabama hitters have made marked improvements in the last two seasons. The 2019 squad showed patience at the plate, drawing 285 total walks to tie for fourth in the SEC during the regular season and finish in the top-25 nationally in that category. Drew Williamson led the way as a freshman, recording 40 free passes to tie for fifth in the SEC. Williamson was part of a collective of three freshmen, including Tyler Ras and T.J. Reeves, along with sophomore Tyler Gentry, that contributed a significant amount of Alabama’s offense a season ago. The foursome’s biggest mark was made in the home run column where they combined for 55 percent of the Crimson Tide’s roundtrippers in 2019.
That home run total was boosted significantly by Alabama’s record-setting effort at Samford in early April, a 21-2 victory for UA. In that game, the Tide recorded a season-high 19 hits, 13 of which went for extra bases with nine home runs, three doubles and a triple. Eleven players recorded at least one hit on the night with seven players homering – the most home runs by an Alabama roster since 1999. An offensive explosion in the third inning put the Tide over the top with UA scoring 13 runs on 11 hits, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. The 11 hits in the inning were a new program record and included five home runs in the frame, also a program-best total.
The Crimson Tide bats saw significant improvements in Zulli’s first season as hitting coach in 2018. Alabama totaled 156 extra-base hits and contributed 310 runs with 270 walks. UA improved in nearly every offensive category under Zulli’s direction, increasing in: extra-base hits (+14), doubles (+14), triples (+2), runs (+30) and walks (+63). In SEC play, the Tide hitters collected nearly half of their extra-base hits for the season with 71 (46 percent), including 45 doubles, four triples and 22 home runs while plating 127 total runs.
Zulli’s guidance has helped in getting five Alabama players selected in the MLB Draft. Morgan McCullough heard his name called in 2019 (22nd Round, Los Angeles Angels) as part of a five-man draft class for the Tide. A season earlier, Chandler Taylor (10th Round, Houston Astros) was the first off the board for UA, followed by Cobie Vance (18th Round, Oakland A’s), Jett Manning (20th Round, San Francisco Giants) and Chandler Avant (30th Round, New York Mets). Also taken in that 2018 Draft was the 10th overall selection Travis Swaggerty, who Zulli recruited to South Alabama during his time coaching with the Jaguars.
In his lone season at La Tech, Zulli’s efforts helped the Bulldogs rank in the top three in nearly every offensive category in Conference USA. The offense recorded a .313 average with 203 RBI and 213 runs scored while slugging .475 and sporting a .413 on-base percentage – all totals that ranked second in the league. Zulli coached four hitters to all-conference honors, including a pair of first-teamers in 2017. Brent Diaz, who was one of the Bulldogs’ first team all-conference selections, was also tabbed a Third Team All-American by Collegiate Baseball News while earning a spot as a semifinalist for the Johnny Bench Award.
Prior to his time at Tech, he was with Missouri for one season in 2016, running the Tigers’ offense while serving as recruiting coordinator, infield coach and third base coach. His time in Columbia was highlighted by his recruiting efforts, where he was responsible for adding seven recruits to the Tigers’ recruiting class, including five of which who were selected in the 2016 MLB First-Year Player Draft. In addition to his recruits that were drafted, Zulli also had two of his players from the 2015-16 Missouri roster selected in Ryan Howard (5th Round, San Francisco Giants) and Jake Ring (31st Round, Baltimore Orioles).
Before heading to Columbia, Zulli assembled the 2016 signing class at South Alabama, a collection of talent that helped lead USA to the 2016 Sun Belt regular season co-championship and an NCAA Regional appearance. Three of his four seasons in Mobile featured top-50 recruiting classes, including a 2013 class that ranked 29th by Collegiate Baseball News. That class played a significant role for the 2015 Jaguar squad that won 37 games and the Sun Belt Conference Championship.
During his four seasons at USA, Zulli coached nine hitters to All-Sun Belt Conference honors, one conference player of the year winner, an All-American and one Freshman All-America selection. His offenses at South Alabama ranked atop the Sun Belt in batting average twice (2012, 2015) and were second in 2013. His teaching made an immediate impact on the Jaguars in his first season, as the offense led the SBC in conference play in seven categories, including: average (.306), hits (321), RBI (184), runs scored (205), total bases (474), on-base (.389) and slugging percentage (.452).
In his seven seasons at Memphis, Zulli helped the Tigers lead Conference USA in hitting and on-base percentage on three separate occasions, while ranking among the top-five in the league in virtually every hitting metric. He coached eight players to a combined 10 All-Conference USA honors, including Chad Zurcher, who was tabbed the 2011 C-USA Player of the Year and a Third Team All-American after leading the NCAA in average and on-base percentage. He also coached 12 players who were selected in the MLB Draft, including five who were taken in the 2011 draft.
His first season at Memphis saw the Tigers increase their win total by 19 games from the year prior, the second-best turnaround in NCAA history at the time, while the offense finished ranked 30th nationally. His efforts continued to help the Tigers progress, eventually leading Memphis to 36 wins and a postseason berth in 2007 – the program’s first NCAA Regional appearance in 13 years.
Zulli began his collegiate coaching career as the recruiting coordinator at Middle Georgia College from 2002-04. The Warriors went 130-51 in his three seasons, including two JUCO World Series appearances in 2002 and 2004. His 2002 team finished sixth nationally, while the 2004 squad wrapped up the season fourth in the national polls.
As a player, Zulli began his career at Middle Georgia College for two seasons where he won the Terry Daniels Award and helped MGC to a Region XVII Championship in 1999. He then transferred to the University of New Orleans for his final two years where he lettered each season for the Privateers.
Zulli earned his bachelor’s degree from UNO in sports management in 2002. He is married to the former Kristen Bell. The couple has one daughter, Zoe Madelyn, and a son, Dominic Anthony.
