UIC Athletics

Sean McDermott, the reigning 2026 Missouri Valley Conference Dan Callahan Coach of the Year is set to enter his sixth season as head coach of the UIC Flames baseball program in 2026, and his 28th season on the coaching staff.
 
Ever since joining the program in 1998, McDermott served as an assistant coach under legendary head coach Mike Dee before being promoted to associate head coach in 2013. After Dee’s retirement, McDermott was elevated to head coach of UIC Baseball on June 15, 2021.
 
Since joining the Flames ahead the 1999 season, McDermott has had a part in 775 UIC victories, 13 regular season conference championships, nine conference tournament titles and seven NCAA regional bids.
 
In 2026, McDermott led UIC to 20 wins over the final 33 regular season contests enroute to UIC’s first regular season championship since 2017, enroute to earning the No. 1 seed ahead of the MVC Baseball Championship Conference Tournament.

 
Punching their ticket into the championship round with a 6-5 win over the reigning champions Murray State, McDermott led the Flames to its first conference tournament title since joining the MVC in July 2022, with a 7-2 victory over Southern Illinois, leading to an NCAA regional bid, competing against No. 2 Georgia Tech and The Citadel in Atlanta.

 
Under McDermott’s staff, members of the team earned numerous individual accolades. Ashton Kampa was named All-MVC First Team and became the fourth consecutive member of UIC baseball to earn Newcomer of the Year honors, joining Luke Pelzer (2025), Kendall Ewell (2024) and Charlie Szkowny (2023).
 
The slugger earned a spot on the America Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Rawlings All Midwest-Region Second Team, becoming the third member of the program since McDermott began to lead the Flames (Ewell/First Team and Reece Lawler/Second Team) in 2024).
 
Joining Kampa on the First team were Jake Busson, Thomas Curry and Mason Lei. Busson earned the MVC Home Run Crown in 2026, slugging 17 home runs in regular season, and added two more in postseason play to finish with the third-most home runs in a single season in program history (19).
 
Curry belted eight home runs and drove in a team-high 26 runs in conference play, while never missing a game behind the plate catching. He was vital to the Flames conference title run, batting .462 across all three games, earning himself the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
 
Lei led UIC’s pitching staff, collecting eight wins and punching out 86 batters, ranking the ninth-most in a single season in program history. The hurler would hear his name be called during the MLB Draft, being selected with the 321^st pick in the 13^th round by the Boston Red Sox on July 12.
 
Mark Eddie earned All-MVC Second Team honors as one of McDermott’s most reliable arms out of the bullpen, and Sean Cody earned All-MVC First Honorable Mention in his first year on the collegiate level.
 
Vidal Colon shined with his glove throughout the season, playing in five different spots for the Flames, posting a .986 fielding percentage in conference play with a .986 fielding percentage, earning himself a share of MVC Defensive Player of the Year and being named to the MVC All-Defensive Team.
 
No one had a stronger bat in postseason then Will Flanigan, batting .563 with four home runs across the conference tournament and NCAA Regionals. That earned him a spot on both the All-MVC Tournament and NCAA Atlanta Regional All-Tournament Teams.
 
The team saw two program records broken in a single season in 2026. The Flames crushed 74 home runs, eclipsing the 69-home run mark set back in 1985. On the mound, the Flames fired an MVC-best three shutouts, issuing only 3.7 walks per nine innings, leading the Valey and ranking 34^th in the entire NCAA DI. The staff totaled 407 strikeouts, surpassing the 403 strikeouts previously set in 2018.
 
With the national spotlight on Curtis Granderson Stadium, the Flames opened a three-game series against Illinois State on May 8, defeating the Redbirds with a 10-2 win on ESPNU, becoming the second game to be broadcasted on ESPNU since UIC had joined the MVC in 2022.
 
2026 also saw academic success for the program, with the team collecting its seventh consecutive ABCA Team Academic Excellence Service Award. The team’s 3.45 GPA in the Spring was the program’s best GPA in over 15 years. Since McDermott had led the program, the Flames have maintained a 3.2 team GPA or greater every semester.
 
Four members of the program made the MVC Scholar-Athlete team, with Busson being named the MVC Scholar Athlete of the Year. He was joined by Curry, Eddie and Alexander Wright. Curry would also be named the MVC Elite 18 Award winner after the conference tournament, given to the student athlete with the highest GPA amongst all the participants in the postseason event that has been attending their school for over a year.
 
In the 2025 season, McDermott led the Flames to 16 wins in the MVC, earning the No.4 seed ahead of the conference tournament. Pelzer led the conference and ranked in the top 40 nationally in batting average (.388) and hit per shares, while ranking 29^th in NCAA DI with 29 stolen bases. After his time at UIC ended, Pelzer would hear him name called in the 2025 MLB Draft, being selected by the Kansas City Royals in the 17^th round. Hurler Cameron Nohos would also sign with the San Diego Padres as an undrafted free agent.
 
In 2024, the team racked up 35 wins, just four away from tying the program record 39 wins for the fourth consecutive time, last set in 2017. McDermott would finish as the runner-up of the MVC Dan Callahan Coach of the Year, after leading a team that was the top defensive team in the conference, ranking 21^st in NCAA DI with a .979 fielding percentage.
 
Ewell would be named the 2024 MVC Joe Carter Player of the Year, setting single season records in home runs (21) and RBI (29). The outfielder became the ninth member in program history to be named an ABCA All-American. McDermott would see a pair of his student-athletes to be picked in this draft, with Ryan Smith being selected by the Houston Astros and Zane Zielinski being picked by the San Francisco Giants in the ninth round.
 
In the Flames first season in the MVC, McDermott led UIC to a 13 wins in conference play, including their first win over the eventual champions in Indiana State on March 31. UIC earned a bid into the six-team MVC conference tournament, collecting its first tournament win against Belmont.
 
McDermott would see the pair of Cole Conn and Szkowny be drafted together in the 2023 MLB draft. After leading the team in batting average (.335), and top five in the MVC in home runs (16) and RBI (55), Szkowny would get drafted in the ninth round by the San Francisco Giants. Conn would be picked by the Athletics three rounds later in the 12^th round, after he caught 51 of 53 games behind the plate.
 
UIC would go 22-25 in their final year of the Horizon League, as McDermott lead the Flames in hist first season as head coach with a 14-11 record, finishing third in conference play. Hurler Nate Peterson was one of the most dependable arms for McDermott, posting the fifth best (3.89) and was tied as the league-leader in strikeouts (102). Those numbers earned Peterson a spot in the MLB Draft, becoming the 28^th person in program history to be selected, when he was drafted in the eighth round by the Milwaukee Brewers.
 
During McDermott’s time served as associate head coach (2013-21), the Flames made its last trip to the NCAA Regionals in 2018, making it to the NCAA Louisville Regional after securing the Horizon League Tournament crown after defeating Milwaukee twice in a three-day span to clinch the program’s sixth regional berth. McDermott played a role in the development of a graduating Scott Ota, who finished his tenure as UIC’s career leader in RBI (163), second in home runs (33), triples (15) and at-bats (763). The outfielder heard his name called in the 2019 MLB Draft, being selected in the 10^th round by the New York Mets.
 
In the 2018 season, the Flames reached new heights on the pitcher’s mound, striking out a single season record-breaking 403 batters, and allowed the fewest earned runs in program history with 140.UIC ranked third in the country in team ERA that year (2.98) and in team shutouts (8). That was the second consecutive season that the Flames ranked top three in both categories.
 
In 2017, McDermott contributed to another Horizon League regular season and conference tournament title, matching a school record with 39 wins throughout the campaign. The Flames earned a spot in the NCAA Hattiesburg Regional, before falling to the host No 10. Southern Mississippi (8-7) and No. 17 Mississippi State (3-2).
 
UIC shined defensively, leading the entire NCAA in fielding percentage at .984. The team’s average of .063 errors per game was the lowest in the country, and the Flames were tied with Stony Brook with the fewest defensive miscues in the NCAA that season with 35.
 
Throughout this two-year window (2017-18), McDermott contributed to 10 players getting drafted from the program. That includes Ryan Campbell, a National College Baseball Writer’s Association (NCBWA) All-American and 2018 Horizon League Pitcher of the Year. The hurler became the second highest draft pick in program history when he was selected in the fifth round by the Cincinnati Reds. The pitching pair of Charlie Cerny and Reid Birlingmair were both selected by the Athletics that year, while catcher Aaron Ackerman was taken by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
 
In 2017, the Flames broke a program and Horizon League record six players being called in the MLB draft. Connor Ryan (Cincinnati Reds), Rob Calabrese (San Francisco Giants), Mickey McDonald (Athletics), David Cronin (Chicago White Sox), Jake Dahlberg (St. Louis Cardinals) and Cody Bohanek (Houston Astros). In addition, Mitchell Schulewitz signed as an undrafted free agent with the Kansas City Royals. Ricardo Ramirez and Jack Andersen also joined the pro ranks.
 
In 2014, UIC’s offense received national attention for its high-powered offense. Seven UIC hitters recorded batting averages well above the .300-mark. The Flames ended the campaign ranked 11^th in the country in batting average (.304), 10^th in on-base percentage (.393) and 16^th in average runs per contest (6.6).
 
During the 2012 season, the Flames made a run to the Horizon League Conference title game with wins over No. 5 Butler, No. 2 Wright State and No. 1 Valparaiso. They would face-off against the Beacons, forcing a winner-take-all game after a 4-3 win, before falling short in the final game. UIC tallied a .357 batting average with 24 extra base hits (eight home runs, five triples and 11 doubles).
 
In his role as an assistant coach on the bench, McDermott was a part of nine UIC 30-plus win seasons from 2000-08, including seven straight campaigns of 35 or more campaigns.
 
The 2008 NCAA Regional team finished top 20 nationally in sacrifice fly’s (34) and sacrifice bunts (60). During the 2007 season, the Flames outscored the Horizon League opponents by a 35-10 margin, collecting a team batting average of .417 with 23 extra base hits in three games to sweep their way to a conference crown and another NCAA Regional bid.
 
In 2006, the Flames led the Horizon League in team batting average, home runs, stolen bases, and on-base percentage. The program would set the school record for hits per game average (11.6). They would also set a school record in runs per game, that would later be broken in the 2010 season (7.85).
 
The 2005 season saw the Flames set a school record for runs scored in a single season (429), while batting a collective .307 with 120 doubles to key UIC’s trip to the NCAA Regionals.
 
McDermott served as the chief recruiter for the Flames in his first nine years on campus, playing an instrumental role in bringing top-notch recruits that had played a big role in reenergizing a program. Developing a keen eye for identifying talented, high-character players with a focus on development, McDermott and his coaching staff have helped nine former student-athletes join Major League Baseball organizations since he took over in 2021. Since he stepped foot onto campus in 1998, that number has risen to 62.
 
One of the most notable names to develop under Coach Dee and Coach McDermott while at UIC was three-time Major League Baseball All-Star Curtis Granderson, who patrolled the outfield for the Flames from 2000-02. In November 2011, Granderson earned an American League Silver Slugger and finished fourth in AL MVP voting. In the very next season, Granderson would past his second consecutive 40 home-run season, becoming the fifth Yankee of all time to accomplish this feat, including Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle and Jason Giambi. Years later, in 2016 Granderson was named MLB’s Roberto Clemente Award winner, an honor that is a bestowed upon the player who best represents the game through sportsmanship, community involvement, all while making positive contributions on and off the field.
 
Other standouts from the program over the years include; Steve Carlson (New York Yankees, 2001), Wes Gilliam (Arizona Diamondbacks, 2002), Kevin Ryan (San Diego Padres, 2002), Kevin Nelson (New York Yankees, 2001), David Haehnel (Baltimore Orioles, 2004), Jordan DeVoir (New York Yankees, 2004), Ryan Gehring (Minnesota Twins, 2004), Mike Hughes (Anaheim Angels, 2004), Nelson Gord (Schaumburg Flyers, 2004; Houston Astros, 2007), Bryan Russo (New York Yankees, 2007), Zach Peterson (Kansas City Royals, 2007), Kevin Coddington (Cincinnati Reds, 2008), Adam Worthington (Arizona Diamondbacks, 2009), Tomas Michelson (Tampa Bay Rays, 2014), Ryan Hichley (Chicago White Sox, 2015), Jeff Boehm (Los Angeles Angels, 2015), and Trevor Lane (New York Yankees, 2016) all have went on to play professionally while training under the tutelage of McDermott and Dee.
 
Proud of the work UIC has done on the field in his time here, McDermott is equally as proud for the work UIC baseball has and will continue to do around the community. The program is heavily involved in working with Team Impact, a national non-profit that connects young people facing serious or chronic illnesses with college teams to build life-changing and supportive relationships. The Flames have drafted multiple young people through the organization to join their team.
 
UIC baseball has also been involved with the New Life Food Pantry in Chicago’s Little Village neighborhood by cleaning the facility and helping to stock the shelves. The team also has collected donations in support of the UIC Flames Food Pantry, whose mission is to exclusively serve registered students who are experiencing food insecurity while attending the university.
 
The program also enjoys giving by participating in several ongoing community programs and service projects organized by the Chicago Baseball and Education Academy (CBEA), founded by Granderson back in 2016. The CBEA strives to provide Chicago youth with access to high-quality baseball and fastpitch softball programs and educational opportunities at no-cost that encourages them to embrace possibilities and empower them to dream big.
 
McDermott joined the Flames after serving three years as the head baseball coach at Viterbo College in LaCrosse, Wis. During his stint with the V-Hawks, the squad set a single-season record with 32 wins in 1997, and then made its first-ever National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Regional Tournament in 1998. At Viterbo, McDermott’s teams set several school records, including runs scored, home runs, walks, hits, RBI and doubles. Before his time in LaCrosse, McDermott served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Princeton University for two seasons.
 
In his time in Harrogate, Tenn., McDermott served as the head baseball coach at J. Frank White Academy and a graduate assistant coach at Lincoln Memorial University to begin his coaching career. He began his collegiate playing career as a second baseman at Indian Hills Community College in Centerville, Iowa before transferring to Lincoln Memorial, where he played shortstop for two seasons before graduating in 1993.
 
McDermott and his wife Lois have four sons: Jack, Joe, Thomas and Finn.