Danny Neri joined Rich Wallace’s staff as the program’s director of position player development in the summer of 2024.
As the director of position player development, Neri works closely with the team’s hitters and position players. He breaks down video, charts and interprets data, and helps improve play on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.
A former Knight, Neri earned Big 12 Conference honorable mention honors as well as Big 12 All-Tournament Team accolades during his senior campaign in 2024. He also set a Big 12 Championship single-game record by belting out three home runs in a win over Cincinnati at the 2024 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
Neri had a career year in 2024 in which he slashed .273/.412/.477 with 12 extra-base hits and 26 runs batted in. The catcher also threw out seven would-be base stealers that year and a total of 23 for his career.
Prior to coming to UCF for his senior season, Neri played three years at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend. He helped the Irish make back-to-back NCAA Super Regional appearances in 2021 and 2022, which included a College World Series run in 2022. In all, Neri played in a trio of NCAA Tournaments during his college career, as he was key in helping the Black and Gold advance to the 2024 NCAA Tallahassee Regional.
Neri hails from Macclenny, Florida. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Notre Dame in the fall of 2023.