Mr. Marlin — Jeff Conine — joins the FIU Panthers’ baseball staff. This is his new role

As far as former standout pro players becoming FIU head or high-ranking assistant coaches, there have been a few, most notably Isaiah Thomas in basketball and Don Strock in football.

As of Friday, Jeff Conine can be added to the list.

Known as Mr. Marlin for his contributions to Miami’s MLB franchise, Conine is now an FIU associate head coach, working under Mervyl Melendez. Conine will oversee hitting and player development.

“We talked about hitting,” Melendez said when asked how he and Conine connected. “He shared his vision. I gave my vision, and we just matched.”

Ironically, both Conine and Melendez have sons who are top pro prospects potentially on the verge of becoming major-leaguers.

MJ Melendez, 22, is a catcher in the Kansas City Royals organization. He was a second-round pick in 2017 out of Miami’s Westminster Christian.

Griffin Conine, 23, is an outfielder in the Marlins chain. A former star prep player at Fort Lauderdale’s Pine Crest, he played for Duke University and was a second-round in 2018.

“Jeff and I joked about that,” Melendez said. “We said, ‘Hey, we have to be pretty good coaches because our sons are so good’.”

Conine spent 17 years in the majors, leading the Marlins to World Series championships in 1997 and 2003.

He was also a two-time All-Star, earning those honors in 1994 and 1995. In his only career All-Star Game at-bat, he hit a go-ahead, pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning, earning MVP honors in the 1995 Mid-Summer Classic.

Since his last season in the majors in 2007, Conine has competed in triathlons, worked in broadcasting. He also served as a special assistant to the Marlins’ president from 2008 to 2017, working with outfielders, first basemen and hitters.

In 2020, he spent spring training as a guest instructor for the Baltimore Orioles.

“Jeff Conine is a baseball name that commands respect,” Melendez said. “He brings knowledge and a winning attitude.”

Conine, who will start right away, has turned down coaching jobs before, said Melendez, who indicated his new associate head coach preferred to remain in South Florida.

“I’m looking forward to seeing him interact with our players,” Melendez said. “It’s a great hire.”