Coach Dan Cassidy is an ambassador for Christ playing, and working as team physical therapist, for Athletes In Action in 1991. The AIA team played national baseball teams in Brazil, Venezuela and the Caribbean Islands while witnessing for Christ in churches and on the baseball diamond between and after games. Dan's trip inspired him to dream and plan for taking a Catholic baseball team one day around the world as a team of witnesses for the Catholic faith. This experience with AIA along with a pilgrimage to Medugorje Yugoslavia in 1988, the current apparition site of the Blessed Virgin Mary, led Dan to study Theology and Business at Franciscan University of Steubenville from 1997-1999.
Dan began his collegiate baseball career playing shortstop for the Southern Illiinois University at Cabondale baseball team in 1983-84 which won the Missouri Valley Conference Championship in 1984. Dan played for a short stint in the New York Mets Minor Leagues in 1986 as a utility infielder.
Dan's coaching career began as a volunteer under Rich Hill for the USD (University of San Diego) Baseball Team, who were 2002-2003 WCC Champions. He has coached for 5 other collegiate teams which include the Alaska Goldpanners, who were 2010 ABL runner up champions with former SDSU (San Diego State University) coach Jim Dietz as the skipper. Other collegiate teams include the Oregon Black Sox summer team, Mesa Community College, the San Diego Mavericks and the San Diego Barona Stars, who were the 2004 Grand Forks International Champions. Dan has also coached at Santa Fe Christian High School, who were CIF champions in 2005 and runner up champions in 2007-2008. Dan has recently been the infield coach for Poway High School from 2008-2011. The Poway team was CIF Division 1 champions in 2008 & 2009 and runner up champion in 2010. Most recently, Dan has been an assistant coach for St. Katherine's College, a new Orthodox Christian NAIA baseball program in San Diego. Along with being the varsity infield, and bench coach, Dan also was the head baseball coach for the JV (Club) baseball team at St. Katherine's College.
Coach Cassidy is also a practicing physical therapist and strength coach, practicing now for 36 years. He graduated from Northwestern University in 1987 with his physical therapy degree and was physical therapist for the Oakland A's Major and Minor League Teams from 1993-1996. Dan's greatest rehabilitation successes include Mark McGwire, Andre Agassi, Jason Giambi, and the late Bob Welch. Dan was a strength and conditioning consultant for the Chicago White Sox from 2006-2012 working with Jim Thome and Allen Thomas, head strength coach. The White Sox were the first team to purchase Dan's invention called the AB & Back Core Trainer.