AMHERST, Mass. – After an extensive nationwide search, Amherst College has announced the hiring of JP Pyne as the next Head Coach of the baseball program.
Director of Athletics Don Faulstick confirmed the appointment for Pyne, who will start work at the beginning of September and becomes just the third coach of the program since 1966.
Pyne brings over 17 years of baseball coaching experience to the Pioneer Valley, including his most recent three seasons as the Head Coach at Clark University in Worcester, Mass. Division III experience also includes a six-year stint at Daniel Webster College (Nashua, N.H.) and time as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Saint Joseph's College (ME).
"We are extremely fortunate to attract a coach of JP's caliber," said Faulstick. "His understanding of Division III athletics and the commitment he has made to his student-athletes on and off the field will carry over and add to an already successful baseball program."
With the Cougars, Pyne twice set the Clark University program record for wins in a season and helped the team advance to consecutive New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) championship tournaments for the first time in program history. He developed 7 All-NEWMAC selections and had ten players named to All-New England teams, including developing the 2017 D3baseball.com New England Player of the Year.
From 2007 through 2013, Pyne transformed the baseball program at Daniel Webster to one of the powers of the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC). He turned a team that won seven games the year before into a four-time 20-game winner, claiming three NECC titles and winning NECC Coach of the Year in 2009, 2010 and 2013.
"My family and I are thrilled to be joining the Amherst College community," said Pyne, who was a four-year letter winner at Saint Joseph's (ME), serving as a team captain in 2001. "I would like to thank Don Faulstick along with the members of the search committee for selecting me to lead the baseball program into the future. I am truly humbled to take over a program with so much history and tradition."
Pyne has extensive coaching experience at all levels of the game, including a head coaching job at Saint Anselm College (Division II) and the pitching coach position at University of Maine (Division I). He has worked with the Toronto Blue Jays organization as the bullpen coach for the Double A New Hampshire Fisher Cats, where he won the 2011 Eastern League Championship, and as the interim pitching coach of the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays.
He has also coached with professional organizations in the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball (Can-Am League), and led the Keene Swamp Bats and Nashua Silver Knights, two collegiate summer league teams.
The native of Milford will take over the reigning NESCAC champion Mammoths, coming off a 24-14 season and a trip to the NCAA tournament. The team earned four All-Conference selections and had nine players earn All-Academic Team honors. Senior Max Steinhorn was named CoSIDA Academic All-America.
"Having the opportunity to work with student-athletes that are committed to academic achievement along with excellence on the field is what makes Amherst so special," added Pyne. "The goal here is to be competitive on the NESCAC, regional and national levels from day one. I will work to maintain that standard and offer our players a great experience along the way."