June 15, 2018

LaBranche resigns from ECSU to take AD job at WNE

More news about: Eastern Connecticut | Western New England

WILLIMANTIC, Conn. – After five seasons, Matt LaBranche has resigned as head baseball coach at Eastern Connecticut State University to assume the position of director of athletics at Western New England University.

LaBranche had been named the sixth head coach in Eastern history in the summer of 2013 after spending 14 seasons (2000-2013) as head baseball coach at Western New England, where he won nine conference championships and qualified for ten NCAA Division III tournaments with an overall record of 429-187.

At Eastern, LaBranche was 124-77 overall, 43-27 in Little East Conference regular-season competition. He reached the LEC tournament championship round four times, capturing titles in 2014 and 2016 and qualifying automatically for the NCAA tournament. In 2018, Eastern finished 25-16, 10-4 in the Little East and advanced to the LEC championship round.

“While I am saddened to see him leave us, I am excited to welcome him into the ranks of being a director of athletics,” said Eastern Director of Athletics Lori Runksmeier.

LaBranche’s 19-year head coaching record is 550-264 for a 67.6 winning percentage.

A native of Windham, NH who played baseball collegiately at Springfield College, LaBranche makes his home in Wilbraham, MA with his wife and two children.

A search for a fulltime head baseball coach will begin shortly.