Bill Cilento Named Assistant Coach at Wake Forest
7/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
July 14, 2009
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Bill Cilento has been named as an assistant coach for the Wake Forest baseball team, as announced on Tuesday by head coach Tom Walter. He will work primarily with the Demon Deacon hitters and infielders.
"Having worked with Bill for two years at the University of New Orleans, several things stood out to me," Walter said. "Bill has a passion for college baseball that is exemplary and is a tireless worker and relentless recruiter. He is also able to quickly and easily develop a mutual respect and unique rapport with his players."
Cilento joins the Wake Forest staff after serving the previous three seasons at Brown University where he worked as the hitting coach and the infield coach. As a team, Brown hit .308 during the 2009 season, finishing the year with a 24-19-1 record. Matt Nuzzo, an infielder for Brown in 2009, was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2009 MLB Draft after hitting .324 with 11 home runs.
"At Brown, Bill has taken his recruiting base to a national level and has still managed to maintain an excellent relationship with the players in his charge," Walter added. "Our hitters will be well instructed and well prepared."
Cilento made an immediate impact with the Brown baseball program in his first season in 2007, helping the Bears to their first-ever Ivy League Championship and NCAA regional berth. Brown led the Ivy League in nearly every offensive statistic in 2007, including winning the batting average category by 39 points.
Walter and Cilento worked together at New Orleans for two seasons. Cilento worked with the Privateer infield during his two seasons at UNO and also assisted with recruiting. During his tenure, he helped to recruit 38 future Privateers. In his last season, New Orleans improved its record by 11 games, finishing fourth in the Sun Belt Conference. Cilento coached three All-Sun Belt players while at UNO.
Before his time at New Orleans, Cilento was an assistant at his alma mater, Siena. He primarily worked with the Saint pitchers and also was the recruiting coordinator. In three seasons, he coached five players who were selected in the MLB Draft, the MAAC Pitcher of the Year, a freshman All-American and six All-MAAC selections. During each season, his pitching staff finished in the top two in the conference in ERA.
Cilento worked as a hitting instructor for the 2002 regular season champion Schenectady Mohawks of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. In 2001, he coached the American Legion's Cissel Saxon Post 41 in Montgomery County, Maryland, to the 2001 Maryland State Championship.
Cilento was a four-year starter at Siena and was a member of two MAAC regular season championship teams. He was also a part of the 1999 Siena team, which competed in an NCAA regional at Wake Forest Baseball Park.
A native of Brookeville, Md., Cilento graduated from Siena College in 2003 with a degree in accounting.