The Florence Freedom announced its coaching staff for the 2016 season, which includes three holdovers from last year and a new pitching coach.
Manager Dennis Pelfrey, hitting coach AJ Cicconi, and bullpen coach Brian White are returning to the Freedom, while Sean Repay will be the next pitching coach in Florence.
In his first season as the Manager of the Freedom, Pelfrey led a strong second-half surge that pushed Florence into the postseason. Pelfrey feels he has the right coaches around him to carry that momentum into the 2016 campaign.
“We’re excited to have AJ and Brian back in Florence and we have confidence in Sean as he steps into our coaching staff,” Pelfrey said. “We always ask our players to get better each day and these three guys do that as coaches. I could not do my job without the right people around me and AJ, Brian, and Sean are the right coaches to have with me.”

Last season, his first in professional baseball, Cicconi was a member of the East Division coaching staff for the 2015 Frontier League All-Star Game, leading the Freedom’s three 2015 all-stars catcher Gary Juarbe, second baseman Daniel Fraga, and outfielder Sam Eberle. Last summer, Florence tied for the Frontier League lead in steals (146) and ranked inside the top-half of the league in on-base percentage (.334).
“I was very happy with the way we played last year,” Cicconi said. “Once the players figured out what our coaching staff was all about, it was easy for them to hop on board and our second-half success showed what we are capable of. If the guys bring the energy we expect right away, we can get into our rhythm from day one. I’m setting my standards high for myself and our hitters coming into this season.”
Pelfrey was impressed with the way Cicconi evolved as a coach during his first year in professional baseball.
“I was really impressed with how AJ progressed throughout the season,” Pelfrey said. “The progression he showed is exactly what we want to see from our players. His ability to plan what our hitters were trying to accomplish from game-to-game and series-to-series was a huge part of our offensive success last season. I expect him to continue to develop because of his ability to be open to new ideas from players and coaches.”
Brian White enters his second season as the bullpen coach with the Freedom, after joining the team mid-season last year. While working with the Florence relievers, he coached closer Ed Kohout and set-up man Ethan Gibbons who were two of the best relief pitchers in the Frontier League.
“Brian was a key piece of our successful bullpen and a big reason why we made the playoffs last year,” Pelfrey said. “I think the bullpen coach is an underappreciated position in independent baseball and Brian shows what a great bullpen coach can bring to the table. He wears many hats for our coaching staff and will continue to make an impact on our players as he develops as a coach.”
White felt the sting of Florence’s playoff loss last season and is ready to take the next step this season.
“I’m excited to be back working with Dennis [Pelfrey], A.J. [Cicconi], and the Freedom players,” White said. “It was a tough loss in the playoffs last season, but I think we’ll be better than last year and I like our chances to make a deep playoff run.”
Sean Repay will be the new pitching coach in Florence this season, his third in professional baseball.
“I’m very excited to be on board with the Freedom,” Repay said. “I think really highly of Dennis [Pelfrey] and expect nothing less than chasing a championship this season.
“I know I have big shoes to fill with the work Chad [Rhoades] did here in Florence,” he continued. “I am not going to try to be Chad, but I’ve talked with him about what he implemented here last season and I will mix his ideas with my own to make something unique.”
Repay is the associate head coach at Lakeland College where he led the Muskies to an NCAA record 22 complete games in 2015. Last summer, he was the bullpen coach with the Gary SouthShore RailCats of the American Association.
“Sean came highly recommended from a couple of people I trust, including Greg Tagert who I played for and coached under in Gary,” Pelfrey said. “Sean also has a strong pitching background with three years in independent baseball. We are excited to have him on the staff and can’t wait to see what he brings to the table this season.”
Prior to Gary, Repay became the youngest manager in professional baseball at age 28, leading the Pecos League’s Bisbee Blue and to a 33-30 record as an expansion franchise. Repay began his coaching career at the collegiate level, spending time with Dominican College (N.Y.) and the University of Antelope Valley.
Repay also had a successful playing career, earning an invitation to Toronto Blue Jays camp after stints with three independent clubs, the Desert Valley Mountain Lions (Continental League), the Kenosha Fielders (North American Baseball League), and the McAllen Thunder (NABL).
The Freedom begin their 2016 campaign at home against the Windy City Thunderbolts on May 13 at 7:05 p.m. Tickets for all games at UC Health Stadium, including opening day and the 2016 Frontier All-Star Game, can be found here.
From Freedom Communications