MONTEVALLO, Ala. – University of Montevallo baseball coach Chandler Rose recently announced the addition of alumnus Daniel Furuto to his coaching staff.

Furuto will serve as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the Falcons.

"I'm really excited to welcome Daniel back to Montevallo as a coach," Rose said. "Montevallo means a lot to him and he will be a tremendous asset to our players and program. He was a great player here and played on some great teams. He will be able to pass down those experiences as well as others he's gained the past few years while coaching in some great programs. He has become a very good young coach and even better person. I look forward to what he'll bring to our program and players."

Furuto was a four-year starter for the Falcons and was twice named All-Gulf South Conference during his collegiate careeer.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity to come back to Montevallo" Furuto said. "It was a wonderful time in my life and I look forward to being a part of the Montevallo experience for our players. I also am excited to be on a staff with Coach Rose and Coach Maas."

As a junior in 2006, Furuto led the Falcons to the NCAA Division II South Central Regional championship, where he was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. Furuto helped the Falcons compile a 43-18 record, an appearance in the NCAA Division II College World Series semifinals and a No. 3 final ranking in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper NCAA Division II poll. During Furuto's senior season in 2007, Montevallo advanced to the NCAA Division II South Central Region championship game and broke the school record for wins with a 47-17 record.

Furuto finished his career with a .330 career batting average and ranks among the school's all-time leaders in several offensive categories.

Furuto arrives in Montevallo following a two-year stint as an assistant coach at Union College, a NAIA school in Barbourville, Kentucky. Furuto helped guide Union to 30 wins in each of his two seasons as an assistant coach.

Prior to his tenure at Union, Furuto was a volunteer assistant coach NCAA Division I Campbell (N.C.) University during the 2011 and 2012 seasons on the staff of head coach Greg Goff, his head coach during his collegiate career at Montevallo.

At Campbell, Furuto coached outfielders and assisted with hitting. Furuto was heavily involved with daily operations, was the camp coordinator, and in charge of field maintenance.

In 2012, Campbell finished 41-18, breaking the school record for wins and finishing just shy of breaking the NCAA record for biggest turnaround in a season from the 2011 record of 17-38. He helped coach one all-American and four All-Conference players, including the NCAA Division I and Big South Conference leader in hits.

Furuto spent the summer of 2012 as the head coach for the Lima Locos in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League after serving as an assistant coach for the team during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. As the Locos' head coach, Furuto led the team to a 24-15 record including a tie for the regular season championship and a semifinals appearance in the GLSCL playoffs. In the summer of 2009, Furuto coached a Locos team that finished 28-8 and won the regular season championship. Furuto has coached 10 players in Lima that have gone on to play professional baseball.

Furuto graduated from the University of Montevallo in the spring of 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics. Furuto is a native of Birmingham, Alabama.