Center Valley, PA (January 19, 2025) – DeSales University head baseball coach, Tim Neiman, announced on Sunday afternoon to his team that he will be retiring at the end of the 2025 season. The 2025 season will be Neiman's 36th with the Bulldogs after he was named the head coach in the fall of 1989 by then Director of Athletics Tom Shirley.
"Coaching at DeSales University has been the greatest honor and privilege of my life", said Neiman. "I never dreamed I would spend most of my adult life at this great institution, but I am so very happy that I did. As I approach season 36, I have decided it shall be my last. I am very grateful to all the fantastic folks who offered me this opportunity, including Fr. Daniel Gambet, Marge Kender, and Tom Shirley, who all saw a little something in me to give a young coach a chance to be a college head coach back in 1989. And now, as I finish this journey, I thank Fr. James Greenfield, Linda Zerbe, and Scott Coval for their continued trust and support as well as so many others in between."
Neiman's legendary career has seen him amass a record of 847-510-5 (.624), which accounts for 87 percent of the wins in DeSales baseball history. He is the only coach in DeSales history in any sport to win more than 700 games and enters the 2025 season ranked ninth among all active NCAA Division III baseball coaches and 41st on the all-time list.
Among his 35 seasons are 30+ wins in a season five times and 20+ wins in a season 28 times. He has garnered Conference Coach of the Year honors 14 times across three different conferences and was also named the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Mid-Atlantic Coach of the Year in 2003.
"Tim Neiman's contributions to our baseball program, our athletic department and our university is immeasurable", said Director of Athletics, Scott Coval. "With Tim, it's much more than wins, conference championships, NCAA appearances – and there were plenty of those. Rather Tim's lasting legacy will be his positive impact on the lives of literally hundreds of young adults who wore a DSU baseball uniform or became a Bulldog student-athlete over the past 35 years."
Coval continued, "Tim is DeSales baseball. His vision and leadership skills have built our program into one of the most respected throughout our conference, region and nationally. Tim has represented DeSales with class and integrity. He has always been, and I'm sure moving forward will continue to be, a shining light for our athletic department and university."
"On a personal note, it has been an honor to work alongside of Tim for over 30 years. His professionalism, insight and creative ideas have helped push our athletic department to new heights. We will certainly miss him, but we wish him well in retirement and his new endeavors. Tim will always be a DeSales Bulldog."
Neiman has guided DeSales to 11 conference championships, including eight MAC Freedom Championships, and made nine trips to the NCAA Tournament. The 2003 season remains Neiman's finest guiding DeSales to their third consecutive 30+ win season. The Bulldogs won the 2003 Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship and advanced to the NCAA Division III College World Series for the first and only time in school history. DeSales was ranked as high as #5 in the country that season, the highest ranking in team history.
Neiman has produced 208 All-Conference players, including 112 First Team performers. In addition, he has seen 70 players earn ABCA All-Region honors and five players named ABCA All-American, including two named First-Team All-Americans. Twelve of Neiman's former players have been named to the DeSales University Hall of Fame.
He was inducted into the Pennridge-Quakertown Sports Hall of Fame, the Quakertown Wall of Fame, and the Pennsylvania American Legion Hall of Fame off the field. Neiman also recently became an author, writing a book entitled "What is your Legacy? Leadership, Life Lessons, Business and Baseball", released in October, 2024.
Coach Neiman and his wife Rosanne are the proud parents of four children, Jason, who is married to wife Chrissy, Kristy, who is married to husband Scott, Nolan, who is married to wife Melissa, and Deron (Doc) as well as seven grandchildren (Carli, Caitlyn, Jason, Macie, Gracie, Ty, and Emme).
January 21, 2025