Corey Muscara Named Duke Baseball Head Coach

DURHAM, N.C. - Corey Muscara, a nationally recognized pitching coach with more than a decade of experience developing elite collegiate staffs, has been named the 26th head coach in Duke Baseball history, Vice President and King-Compton Families Director of Athletics Nina King announced Thursday.

Muscara brings 15 years of collegiate coaching experience to Duke, including the last four seasons as an assistant coach at Wake Forest, where he helped guide the Demon Deacons to an average of 43 wins per season and reached the College World Series in 2023 for the first time since 1955.

"We are thrilled to welcome Corey Muscara as the next head coach of Duke Baseball," King said. "Corey is one of the most respected pitching minds in the country, and his track record of developing elite student-athletes while competing at the highest levels speaks for itself. His passion, energy and commitment to excellence align perfectly with the values of Duke Athletics. I am confident Corey will build upon the strong foundation of our program and lead Duke Baseball to sustained success on and off the field."

In 2023, Muscara was named D1Baseball's Assistant Coach of the Year after helping lead Wake Forest to a program-record 54 wins. That season, the Demon Deacons led the nation in ERA (2.83), hits allowed per nine innings (6.59), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.26) and strikeouts per nine innings (12.1).

The success continued in 2024, as Wake Forest posted 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings, second-best nationally. In 2025, Muscara's staff led the ACC and ranked fifth nationally with seven shutouts, while also finishing eighth in the country with 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. The Demon Deacons advanced to an NCAA Regional Final for the second time in three years.

"I am incredibly honored and excited to join the Duke community and lead the Blue Devils' baseball program," Muscara said. "This is a truly special opportunity to build on the program's success and compete for championships at one of the premier academic and athletic institutions in the country. I want to thank President Vincent Price, Nina King and Brad Berndt for their trust and belief in me. I'm eager to get to work with our student-athletes and to represent Duke with pride."

Before joining Wake Forest, Muscara served as Maryland's pitching coach from 2018-21. He helped the Terrapins secure the seventh-ranked recruiting class in the country in 2020, highlighted by a strong group of incoming pitchers.

From 2013-17, Muscara was an assistant coach at St. John's, where nine of his pitchers were selected in the MLB Draft. The Red Storm ranked eighth nationally in ERA in 2017 and made NCAA Tournament appearances in 2015 and 2017. In 2014, St. John's led the Big East in strikeouts under Muscara's guidance.

Muscara began his coaching career at Southern New Hampshire in 2010 and returned for a second stint in 2012 as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. That year, the Penmen reached the NCAA Division II College World Series and set a program record with 43 wins. Muscara's pitching staff led Division II in ERA (2.41) and strikeouts per nine innings (9.3).

As a player, Muscara spent his final two collegiate seasons at Franklin Pierce, serving as team captain in 2009. The Ravens won back-to-back Northeast-10 Tournament titles and the 2008 NCAA Regional championship during his time. He began his career at Siena, earning letters in 2005 and 2007.

Muscara earned his degree in history from Franklin Pierce in 2009. He and his wife Suzie are the proud parents of three children - Theodore, Thomas and Suzanna Margaret.

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