Former Wolverine player Derek Amicone recently completed his fourth on the coaching staff at Utah Valley University in 2018. After spending the 2015 season as the team's volunteer assistant, Amicone was promoted to prior to the 2016 season. His responsibilities include being the team's recruiting coordinator and he also handles the infielders.
Prior to the 2018 season Amicone recruited two out of D1Baseball’s top 10 impact freshman in the WAC in Drew Sims -- who was touted as the WAC Preseason Freshman of the Year by Baseball America -- and Drew Hill. Sims was also named a top 100 draft prospect in the 2020 draft by Hero Sports. Amicone also recruited Trevor Peterson who earned a first-team All-WAC selection and David Modler who was named second-team All-WAC. Other recruits included Ryan Eastburn, who was team’s second leading hitter; Jake Carr, who was tied for the team lead in wins and averaged a strikeout an inning; Jackson Overlund, who lead the team in homeruns and extra bases; and Paxton Schultz, who was named a top 10 draft prospect in the WAC in 2019 by D1Baseball.com. Amicone is gaining a reputation as one of the brightest young recruiting coordinators in the West.
Amicone's efforts on the recruiting trail were illustrated by the three highest team batting averages in 2017 in Peterson, Overlund and Modler, and Schultz, who led the Wolverines in strikeouts. Amicone also recruited true freshman Jake Berry who was third in RBIs and had the most HR's for a freshman since 2010. Peterson also had the highest batting average since 2012 and Overlund was top five in double’s in the WAC as well as having the most doubles for the Wolverines since 2012.
In his first season as a full-time assistant, Amicone led a defense that ranked eighth in the nation in double plays, turning 61 -- an improvement of 14 from the prior season. The defense also committed 22 fewer errors, a nearly 25 percent improvement. The 2016 team also tied a school record with a .971 fielding percentage. The Wolverines also led the WAC in WAC only fielding percentage by fielding at a .977 clip. Amicone also tutored 1st team All-WAC infielder Greyson Bogden.
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Amicone played at UVU for Madsen for three seasons (2009-11) and was a part of two Great West Conference regular season and tournament championship teams. In 2010, a season highlighted by UVU's NCAA team batting title with a .372 average, Amicone batted .352 with eight doubles.
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After his playing career ended due to a back injury, Amicone spent the 2012 and 2013 seasons at the University of Utah as a student assistant coach. There he was a part of the program's first two years as members of the Pac-12. In the summer of 2012 he served as a coaching intern with the Los Angeles Angels and was assigned to the team's triple-A affiliate Salt Lake, where he was the team's first base coach, among other responsibilities.
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At Oregon, in 2014, he took on many roles including assisting in the day-to-day operations of the baseball program. While with the Ducks the team achieved the program's highest ranking, reaching No. 2 in the ESPN Coaches Poll at one point during the season. Amicone also worked as an instructor in the PE department at Oregon.
Amicone received his Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from the University of Utah in 2013. He comes from an athletic family; his mom, Mary Kay, is the head softball coach at Weber State University while his dad is the general manager for the Salt Lake Bees. His brother, Trevor, is the head baseball coach at Woods Cross High School.
