Baseball | 6/1/2023 1:36:00 PM
MIAMI SHORES, Fla.— The Barry baseball program has had a change at the helm, director of athletics Dr. Scott Smith announced today.
"Coach [Juan] Ranero is an exceptional person and coach and he will be deeply missed," Smith said. "Part of his legacy is the outstanding coaching staff and recruiting arm they developed to build a nationally-competitive NCAA D-II program. I have confidence in our coaching staff and excited to promote Brett Young from assistant coach to the head baseball coach at Barry University."
Head coach Juan Ranero has stepped down to pursue another opportunity in baseball after leading the Bucs to a 270-237-1 record in 11 seasons. The Bucs completed one of the most impressive turnarounds in NCAA Division II baseball this past year, going from 18-31 in 2022 to 35-19 and winning the South Region 2 championship in 2023.
"I'm so very proud to have been a member of the Buccaneer program for the last seven years, " Ranero said. "I'm also very happy that the rest of the staff is getting the opportunity to continue to work with the team and hopefully help them take the next step up in 2024. My time here has been incredible, making this move more difficult. But as difficult as the decision has been, I feel that it is the Lord's will for me and my family."
Ranero has been a builder of programs over his career. In two stints at Rowan, he led the Profs to 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. He built the core of the Eckerd team that won the Sunshine State Conference title in 2019. And, since returning to The Shores, he has twice built Barry into a national contender. In 2020, the Bucs were 17-4, in first place in the SSC, with a pitching staff that had the third-best ERA in the country when the pandemic shut down all competition. He did it again in 2023.
Assistant coach Brett Young will take over from Ranero. In his two recruiting seasons, as the recruiting coordinator, he has helped sign the top-rated classes, according to Perfect Game, in NCAA Division II.
Prior to Barry, Young also served at Rowan as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Previously he spent five years as the head coach at Paul VI High School, guiding a squad that was ranked in the Top 5 in South Jersey and Top 20 in the state.
"I am extremely excited for this opportunity to lead the BarryU Baseball team and keep this group of players and coaches together," Young said. "Thank you to President Allen, Director of Athletics, Dr. Scott Smith, and especially Juan Ranero. Juan taught me so much the past two years under his leadership and I am forever grateful to Juan for believing in me to be the right person to carry on what he has built here at Barry. I look forward to the upcoming year and taking the next step with this group of players and coaches."
He began his coaching career in 2006 at his alma mater, Haddon Township High School, where he had two stints for a total of three years (2006-08, 2010). During his time at both schools, he saw 28 of his players move on to play collegiate baseball and had one player – Will Gambino of Paul VI (Mariners – 35th round) – chosen in the MLB Draft.
He started his collegiate career coaching at as an assistant coach Oklahoma Panhandle State University in 2012 and then recently held the same position for one season at Widener University.
Young, a first baseman and outfielder, played at James Madison University, Gloucester County College (RCSJ-Gloucester) and the University of Delaware. He was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2002 before an injury cut short his professional playing career.
In 2017, he was inducted into the Haddon Township Athletic Hall of Fame for his playing career in both basketball and baseball.
He graduated from Oklahoma Panhandle State in 2013 with a degree in physical education and received his master's in secondary education from the University of Phoenix in 2020.
