Xavier University Athletics
Xavier Baseball Announces Staff Additions, Promotion for Matt Reida
07.31.18 | Baseball
CINCINNATI – Xavier head baseball coach Billy O'Conner announced the addition of Brian Furlong and Austin Cousino to the program on Tuesday, completing his coaching staff for the upcoming 2019 season.
Furlong will serve as the team's pitching coach, while Cousino joins the program in a volunteer assistant role.
In addition, O'Conner announced that current assistant coach Matt Reida would be elevated to the position of assistant coach/recruiting coordinator. Reida joined the XU baseball staff in 2017 from Indiana University, where he spent two seasons.
"Matt is a tireless worker out on the road and has shown an outstanding ability to identify, evaluate and recruit high level players to Xavier," said O'Conner. "His ability to communicate and relate to recruits has been a key factor in us landing some very talented players. I'm excited for him to receive this new title and the recognition and responsibilities that come along with it."
Furlong joins the Xavier staff as an assistant coach after two years as head coach at Heartland Community College. He will work primarily with the Musketeer pitching staff.
"I'm very excited to be able to bring someone of Brian's caliber onto our staff," said O'Conner. "As I went through the interview process, Brian stood out immediately and I felt like he checked every box for what I was looking for in a pitching coach. His commitment to development, as well his ability to communicate and form strong relationships with his players, will fit in perfectly with our program. He has a track record of consistent success with his pitchers and I can't wait for the guys in our program to get the chance to work with him."
During his two seasons as head coach, the Hawks went 85-26 and advanced to this past season's Region 24 championship game after winning a division title. The 2018 squad recorded the second-best grade point average in program history. In addition, a total of 31 players under Furlong continued to play after completing their Heartland career – with 18 of those moving on to Division I universities.
Prior to his stint at Heartland, Furlong spent three years at Creighton University where he helped the Bluejays set a program record with a team ERA of 3.15 in the 2016 season. Furlong also helped develop some of the top pitchers in CU history, including 10 future professionals.
Prior to Creighton, he was a general manager for Diamond Dreams, Inc. and a baseball instructor for BASH Sports Academy. Furlong also worked for the University of Iowa as the director of baseball operations.
As a pitcher, Furlong played for Iowa State in 2001, Creighton in 2003 and the University of Iowa for the 2004-05 seasons. He was recognized as a Big 12 Conference Scholar Athlete and was named to the academic all-conference team for the Missouri Valley and the Big Ten.
Furlong earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Iowa in 2005.
Cousino joins Xavier from Mississippi State, where he served in a graduate assistant role as the Bulldogs advanced to the College World Series for the 10th time in program history.
"Austin will be a great addition onto the staff this upcoming year," said O'Conner. "He's a high-energy coach and his passion for teaching baseball is immediately evident when you spend time with him. He's played high level baseball his whole career in college and professional baseball, and comes to us from a very successful program in Mississippi State, so I think he's going to be able to make an impact on our program very quickly."
Selected in the third round of the 2014 MLB First Year Player Draft by the Seattle Mariners, Cousino played three seasons in the minor leagues before retiring after the 2016 season to pursue a coaching career.
A center fielder at the University of Kentucky, Cousino was the 2012 SEC Freshman of the Year and a three-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner for the Wildcats. He played on a pair of NCAA Tournament teams in 2012 and 2014, capping his career as a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2014.
Furlong will serve as the team's pitching coach, while Cousino joins the program in a volunteer assistant role.
In addition, O'Conner announced that current assistant coach Matt Reida would be elevated to the position of assistant coach/recruiting coordinator. Reida joined the XU baseball staff in 2017 from Indiana University, where he spent two seasons.
"Matt is a tireless worker out on the road and has shown an outstanding ability to identify, evaluate and recruit high level players to Xavier," said O'Conner. "His ability to communicate and relate to recruits has been a key factor in us landing some very talented players. I'm excited for him to receive this new title and the recognition and responsibilities that come along with it."
Furlong joins the Xavier staff as an assistant coach after two years as head coach at Heartland Community College. He will work primarily with the Musketeer pitching staff.
"I'm very excited to be able to bring someone of Brian's caliber onto our staff," said O'Conner. "As I went through the interview process, Brian stood out immediately and I felt like he checked every box for what I was looking for in a pitching coach. His commitment to development, as well his ability to communicate and form strong relationships with his players, will fit in perfectly with our program. He has a track record of consistent success with his pitchers and I can't wait for the guys in our program to get the chance to work with him."
During his two seasons as head coach, the Hawks went 85-26 and advanced to this past season's Region 24 championship game after winning a division title. The 2018 squad recorded the second-best grade point average in program history. In addition, a total of 31 players under Furlong continued to play after completing their Heartland career – with 18 of those moving on to Division I universities.
Prior to his stint at Heartland, Furlong spent three years at Creighton University where he helped the Bluejays set a program record with a team ERA of 3.15 in the 2016 season. Furlong also helped develop some of the top pitchers in CU history, including 10 future professionals.
Prior to Creighton, he was a general manager for Diamond Dreams, Inc. and a baseball instructor for BASH Sports Academy. Furlong also worked for the University of Iowa as the director of baseball operations.
As a pitcher, Furlong played for Iowa State in 2001, Creighton in 2003 and the University of Iowa for the 2004-05 seasons. He was recognized as a Big 12 Conference Scholar Athlete and was named to the academic all-conference team for the Missouri Valley and the Big Ten.
Furlong earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Iowa in 2005.
Cousino joins Xavier from Mississippi State, where he served in a graduate assistant role as the Bulldogs advanced to the College World Series for the 10th time in program history.
"Austin will be a great addition onto the staff this upcoming year," said O'Conner. "He's a high-energy coach and his passion for teaching baseball is immediately evident when you spend time with him. He's played high level baseball his whole career in college and professional baseball, and comes to us from a very successful program in Mississippi State, so I think he's going to be able to make an impact on our program very quickly."
Selected in the third round of the 2014 MLB First Year Player Draft by the Seattle Mariners, Cousino played three seasons in the minor leagues before retiring after the 2016 season to pursue a coaching career.
A center fielder at the University of Kentucky, Cousino was the 2012 SEC Freshman of the Year and a three-time Rawlings Gold Glove winner for the Wildcats. He played on a pair of NCAA Tournament teams in 2012 and 2014, capping his career as a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2014.
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