Lehigh University Athletics
Baseball
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
- spl3@lehigh.edu
- Phone:
- 610-758-4315
- Alma Mater:
- 15th season
Sean Leary is now in his 15th season as head coach at Lehigh and 19th overall with the baseball program. He has won 272 games as head coach, second most in school history. In 2006, Leary led the team to its first-ever Patriot League Tournament championship and its first appearance in the NCAA tournament. The 2006 season also gave the Mountain Hawks their second highest win total in school history, second Patriot League co-championship and fifth consecutive appearance in the Patriot League Tournament – a feat never-before accomplished in the program’s history. As a result of the team’s achievements, Leary was selected as the 2006 Patriot League Coach of the Year for the first time.
Over the last eight seasons, Leary has earned 174 wins as Mountain Hawks head coach. During his 14 years at Lehigh, Leary has coached six teams to 20 or more wins – including five of the last eight seasons. The 2002 Mountain Hawks won a school-record 29 games under Leary’s guidance and captured the school’s first share of the regular season Patriot League title. Most recently, in 2008, Leary led a young team (25 freshmen and sophomores) to 10 more wins than it earned in the previous season, more than tripling its Patriot League win total.
Leary has brought a disciplined style of play to the Lehigh program over the past 14 seasons, emphasizing pitching, defense and fundamentals. His players quickly adopted his philosophy, as Lehigh finished 13th in the country in fielding in 1997 – his first season at the helm. Leary brings a wealth of knowledge and a high degree of enthusiasm to the clubhouse, making him one of the brightest young coaches in the Patriot League.
“Coach Leary was extremely enthusiastic in every facet of his game as a player, especially defense,” says former teammate and player Chris Querns ’96. “You can definitely see how that has translated into his coaching philosophy. He can relate to his players and motivate them to put enthusiasm into their game.”
Leary has coached five All-Americans (Pat Hollander, Jack Muscalus, Jesse Novalis, Matt McBride and Joe Ercolano), two All-Region selections (Eric Hoffman and Matt McBride), a Patriot League Pitcher of the Year (Dave Cerminaro) and two Patriot League Players of the Year (Novalis and McBride). He has also coached three players who have moved on to play professional ball, including Ben Talbott, Kyle Collina and McBride.
A 1993 graduate of Lehigh, Leary earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting and master’s in education. He played four years at Lehigh – starting at shortstop his senior year – batting .296, with one home run and 15 runs batted in.
In August 2008, the Northampton County Legion honored Leary by inducting him into its Hall of Fame, joining assistant coach John Bisco in the exclusive group.
About his time as head coach at Lehigh, Leary said: “I love the sport, but impacting the lives of student-athletes both on and off the field is the reason I coach.”
Leary and his wife, Jennifer, reside in Bethlehem, with their 5-year-old daughter, Ashlyn.
