Coaching Experience:
Assistant Coach, Rhode Island (2007-Present)
Assistant Coach/Hitting Instructor, Green Bay Bullfrogs (2008)
Assistant Coach, Salve Regina (2005-06)

Eric Cirella has been an assistant coach for the Rhody baseball team since 2007 and in each of his years at Rhode Island, the Rams have qualified for the Atlantic-10 Tournament, extending their current streak to nine years - the longest current active streak in the league.

Cirella coaches third base for the Rams and is primarily responsible for the base running and outfielders, while also putting a strong emphasis on bunting, situational hitting and manufacturing runs. In 2011, Rhody ranked fourth in the country in stolen bases per game (2.17) and ninth in total stolen bases (117). Overall, the Rams finished with a 79% success rate (117-148) last season and have averaged nearly 110 stolen bases per season over the last three years.

Cirella also serves as assistant recruiting coordinator for the Rams. Most recently, the Rhode Island baseball team received votes in Collegiate Baseball's poll of the nation's Top-40 Recruiting Classes for 2010. The Rams were the only club from New England - and one of just two Atlantic 10 programs - to appear on the list. The Rams were also recognized in Baseball America's listingof top classes by region (outside of the Top 25).

Off the field, Cirella is instrumental in planning practices, assisting with academics, summer baseball placement, player development, scheduling games and tournaments for Bill Beck Field, and organizing the Rams' camp and clinic schedules.

In 2009, URI posted a school record 37 wins, knocked off three top-25 teams (Miami, Oklahoma State and Ohio State), had four players taken in the MLB draft, and also finished in the nation's top-20 in stolen bases and stolen bases per game. In 2008, Cirella was selected as the hitting instructor/third base coach for the Green Bay Bullfrogs of the Northwoods League. Offensively, the Bullfrogs led the Northwoods league in five statistical team categories, including average, hits, doubles, triples, and total bases. Additionally, ten players from Green Bay's 2008 team were selected in the 2009 & 2010 MLB Draft, including four picks that went in the top 15 rounds.

Cirella began his coaching career in 2005-06 at Salve Regina University, helping the Seahawks win a school record 32 games (32-13).

A four-year stand-out baseball player at Salve Regina University (Newport, R.I.), Cirella was an All-Conference and Academic All-Conference member all four years while also earning the 2004 Brother Michael Reynolds Award for outstanding accomplishment in academics and athletics. He also was SRU's Male Athlete of the Year in 2004-2005 and was a three-time Academic All-American (2003-2005) in addition to earning the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-American of the Year award in 2005. Following his junior (2004) and senior (2005) seasons at Salve Regina, he was selected All-New England First Team and was a Rawlings ABCA All-American at SS and OF.

As a senior captain in 2005, Cirella helped guide a young Seahawks team to a conference championship and only the second NCAA appearance in the program's history. Cirella still owns over a dozen career and single-season records at Salve Regina. His .447 lifetime batting average is 18th highest in the history of Division 3 baseball and is the fifth highest among players with over 450 at bats.

As the NCAA's leader in batting average (.504) and bases on balls (49) his senior year, Cirella was honored with the Vin Cullen Award for small college achievement by Words Unlimited. In October of 2011, he will be inducted into the Salve Regina Athletic Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Cirella graduated magna cum laude from Salve Regina University with a B.S. in Financial Management in May of 2005. He was a member of the Dean's List four straight years and graduated with an impressive 3.87 GPA, the highest GPA of any finance graduate in 2005. In 2010, he finished his master's degree in Communication Studies at the URI School of Communication, where he has also taught as a graduate instructor.