Walk Off Winning

2Never Underestimate the Power of Giving

I coach Division I baseball: my dream job. But along the way I have learned two very important lessons. Like most people, I had no clue about these lessons until years later.

Create a Foundation for Success

The first lesson happened when I was hired for my first head coaching job. The athletic director at Manhattan College, Bob Byrnes, treated me like a son. I was so pumped—28 years old and a DI coach! I had so much energy, I started the day I was hired.

He did what he could to help me be successful at a low-level coaching job—no home field, a small budget, one-third the scholarships allowed by NCAA rule, not even an indoor batting cage. But it was the right job for me. Of course, I wanted a stadium, a bigger budget, all the benefits the boys had at Miami, or Clemson. Each time I drove by the Yonkers raceway parking lots on my way to work, I would dream of finding a way to get a stadium built there. As far-fetched as it was, I always thought we could get something better. I wanted it all.

In order for Bob to attract a coach for a full-time position, he convinced the college president that the coach could also be a marketing director for all sports. This would, it was hoped, offset the costs of the position and make some cash for the school. I had no real interest in being a marketing guy, but if selling a few advertisements in the gym helped me become Division I coach, so what?

When I first arrived, all I wanted to do was coach. I believed ...