NORTHFIELD, Vt. – Norwich University Director of Athletics, Ed Hockenbury, announced on Thursday the promotion of former assistant coach and Norwich baseball standout Billy Whaley '17 to head baseball coach.
"Billy Whaley is one of the best players in Norwich baseball history," Hockenbury said. "For the last seven seasons, he has contributed greatly to the program as Frank Pecora's assistant coach. He is a loyal, committed alum, passionate and knowledgeable baseball coach, and talented recruiter. He is fully prepared to lead our baseball program into the future, and I am excited to announce his hire."
During his playing days at Norwich, Whaley became one of the top pitchers in program history. He ascended quickly both at the plate and on the mound, finishing that campaign with ten RBIs and two home runs to compliment a 2.00 ERA and 32 strikeouts, earning him Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) First Team All-Conference accolades.
By the time he graduated, Whaley had ascended the record books, finishing in the top five in many pitching categories, including career strikeouts (168), single-season strikeouts (63, 42), innings pitched in a season (45), innings pitched in a career (151), complete games in a season (5), complete games in a career (11), career wins (9), and career starts (27). His time in maroon and gold also included time as a GNAC All-Conference goalkeeper for the men's soccer team and a New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) Championship-winning stint with the Vermont Mountaineers baseball team in 2015.
Since graduating, Whaley served as former Head Coach Frank Pecora's top deputy. Most recently, he helped guide the Cadets to their most successful GNAC postseason run in program history, where he coached third base. Most notably, he helped guide Matt Ingraffia '24 to break many of the pitching records he set.
Prior to his collegiate career, Whaley was a three-sport standout at Northfield High School, where he participated in baseball, soccer, and hockey. While on the mound for the Marauders, he accumulated an 18-1 career record, along with 147 strikeouts compared to 50 walks to complement a .389 career batting average and a State Championship in 2012, earning him enshrinement into the Vermont Principal's Association (VPA) Hall of Fame in 2024.
"I'd like to thank A.D. Ed Hockenbury and the search committee for extending the opportunity to become the next head baseball coach at Norwich," Whaley said. "As a former player and assistant coach, this is a program I hold close and care deeply for. Also, I am indebted to Coach Frank Pecora for his coaching, mentorship, and leadership throughout my playing and coaching career. I am excited for the chance to build upon the foundation he established, and I look forward to the future of Norwich Baseball."
Whaley inherits a team that recently received its second-straight American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Team Academic Excellence Award, and returns GNAC All-Conference Third Team and All-Tournament Team recipient Geffen Franus (Leesburg, Va.), who set single-season records in triples, runs scored, and RBIs last season.