MEDFORD - John Casey, whose contributions to Tufts Athletics as a student-athlete, coach and administrator span 45 years, announced today that he will retire this fall.
One of the proudest and most accomplished men to ever wear the brown and blue, "Case" is a 1980 Tufts graduate who played football and baseball for the Jumbos. Over the last 38 years he has led the Jumbo baseball program to more than 750 victories including 10 regional and conference titles. Since 2002 he has been part of the Athletic Department's leadership team and currently holds the title of Associate Athletics Director.
"It has been the privilege of my lifetime to work with student athletes at Tufts University," said Coach John Casey. "They have taught me far more than I have taught them. I will miss them dearly, but now is the time to take this next step in my life. I know Jumbo Baseball will continue to excel not only on the field but in serving the community as well."
From nearby Jamaica Plain and a graduate of the prestigious Boston Latin School, Casey arrived at Tufts in the fall 1976. As a baseball pitcher, he helped the Jumbos earn two consecutive ECAC Division II-III Tournament appearances. His five saves in 1980 remain one of the program's top single-season marks. He was also the leading receiver on the 1979 undefeated (8-0) football team, one of just three perfect seasons in the history of the Tufts program. A recipient of Tufts' Frederick M. Ellis Prize for academic and athletic achievement, Casey graduated cum laude with a degree in child study.
Outside of a year teaching math and coaching football at the New Hampton School in 1981-82, Casey was at Tufts pursuing a Master's Degree in Education and working as an assistant football and baseball coach. He was promoted to head baseball coach at Tufts in June 1983.
Casey would emerge as one of the most respected baseball coaches in the nation. In January 2020, he was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame. The honor not only reflected the success his teams had on the field, but also his commitment to developing young men and giving back to the game.
"Coach Casey has devoted more than 40 years to Tufts as a distinguished baseball and football student-athlete, highly successful coach, respected leader, and most importantly, as a teacher and mentor for generations of Jumbo student-athletes," said Director of Athletics John Morris. "His impact on Tufts Athletics will be felt forever, and we congratulate Coach Casey on his retirement and his outstanding career."
On the field, Coach Casey's Jumbos have been one of the best teams in New England throughout his tenure. Tufts has played in the NCAA Tournament seven times in the last 11 years and nine times overall under Case's guidance. In 2016, 2019 and 2021, the team played in NCAA Regional finals. The Jumbos earned #1 seeds at the 2010 and 2011 NCAA New England Regional Tournaments.
The Tufts program's six NESCAC titles won under Coach Casey are more than any other team in the league. The Jumbos enjoyed a run of three conference championships in four years from 2016-19. Casey was a three-time conference Coach of the Year. Tufts also captured four ECAC New England championships during his tenure, including three out of four from 1994-97.
The Jumbos earned the 750th win of Coach Casey's career with their final victory of the 2019 season, 7-4 against Penn State Harrisburg which advanced Tufts to the NCAA Regional final. Coach Casey became the 16th active coach and 29th all-time in Division III to reach 750 wins. After 38 seasons and 1,201 games leading the Jumbo program, he retires with a 765-431-5 record (.639 winning percentage).
Throughout the years, Casey has developed the Jumbo baseball team into a brotherhood. Among the special events organized by the head coach and his staff to bring alumni and current players together are a pre-season reception at Fenway Park, a golf tournament, an alumni game and establishing the Diamond Club which helps support the program. In 2010, the team arranged a 60th Anniversary Celebration prior to a Red Sox game at Fenway Park for the 1950 Tufts team that played at the College World Series in Omaha.
Under Casey's mentorship, the team's alumni includes players who signed professionally and others who went on to become coaches. Pitcher Jeff Taglienti was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in 1997 and outfielder Dan Callahan was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2002. Randy Newsom signed as a free agent with the Red Sox in 2004. Paul Svagdis is a 1993 graduate who has guided Azusa Pacific University to three NAIA College World Series berths. Jamie Pinzino, a 1996 Jumbo graduate, is currently the pitching coach at East Tennessee State after stops at Oklahoma, Virginia Tech and Army among others.
The players Casey and his staff have recruited to Tufts are often recognized for their academic achievement. This past spring eight team members received NESCAC All-Academic Team honors for carrying grade point averages of 3.50 or better. The 2021 Jumbo team received an ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award.
A commitment to community service has also been one of the primary principles of Coach Casey's program. The team holds an annual 100-inning charity game supporting Homes for Our Troops. In 2017, Cooper Martin, a courageous young boy who has a brain tumor, was drafted by Tufts Baseball through Team IMPACT, a non-profit organization which works to improve the quality of life for children facing life-threatening and chronic illnesses by pairing them with collegiate athletic teams. The team had a similar experience with Adrian Misic, a young boy with brain cancer who connected with the Jumbos through the Friends of Jaclyn organization. The Jumbos sponsor an annual prize fund in memory of Adrian, who passed away in 2010, and dedicated the scoreboard at Huskins Field in his honor.
Coach Casey is actively involved with advancing the game overseas as part of the International Sports Groups' (ISG) coaching clinics. He has made trips to Sweden, Curacao and Switzerland providing instruction to baseball coaches in those countries. He also led the Tufts team on a trip to the Dominican Republic in November 2019 where they played a handful of games and performed community service.
A member of the ABCA leadership team for several years, Coach Casey served as President of the organization in 2016. He had served as a Vice President for four years and is a member of the ABCA Board of Directors.
The ABCA Hall of Fame honor was the latest recognition of Casey's outstanding career. In May 2019 he entered into the Hall of Fame of the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association (NEIBA), for which he has served many years in a leadership capacity. In 2000, the NEIBA presented him with the Jack Butterfield Award, its most prestigious honor, given to an active coach who exhibits the integrity and dedication to the game of college baseball that Coach Butterfield demonstrated throughout his career. Coach Casey received the Andy Baylock Distinguished Service Award from the NEIBA in 2005, recognizing his significant contributions to the betterment of New England college baseball. In November 1999 was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Boston Park League, the oldest amateur baseball league in the country.
Casey coached football at Tufts through the 2001 season. As offensive coordinator early in his career, he implemented and directed a wishbone attack with which the Jumbos averaged nearly 310 yards rushing per game en route to a 7-1 record and a #1 ranking in New England for the 1986 season. The team finished that year ranked second nationally in rushing. In 2017, the Jumbo football program and the Friends of Tufts Football presented the John Baronian Distinguished Jumbo Football Award to Coach Casey.
Coach Casey and his wife Diane have four sons - Brian, Kevin, Brendan and Chris - and two grandchildren. All of his sons have followed in their father's footsteps as Brian is the recently-hired head coach at Coast Guard, Kevin is the head coach at Johnson & Wales, Brendan works under his dad at Tufts and Chris coaches with the Northeast Longhorns AAU team.