Head Coach - Tom Gibboney
"Obviously, I have aspirations to continue the success that coaches Zanic and Berrier had here at Juniata, and I hope to make this a smooth transition so that our graduating seniors can have a successful conclusion to their collegiate careers." - Juniata's Baseball Coach Tom Gibboney
Long-time Juniata College baseball assistant and former Huntingdon Area High School baseball coach Tom Gibboney begins his third season as Juniata's head baseball coach - a program he still respectfully calls "Mr. Berrier's team". Gibboney, a former Juniata baseball and football standout, was named to the post prior to the 2008 season.
In his first season at the helm, Gibboney led the Eagles to a 26-12 overall record with a 17-2 mark in Landmark Conference play. He was recognized by his peers as heading up the Landmark's Coaching Staff of the Year, and eight of his players found their way onto All-Landmark Conference teams.
Two Gibboney-coached Eagles - first baseman Dan Kauffman and starting pitcher Jay Enoch - were named Landmark Player of the Year and Pitcher of the Year respectively, and Kauffman ended the year as the 46th round pick of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft. Kauffman, Enoch, outfielder Adam Spadafora and third baseman Steve Wilk were all named to the American Baseball Coaches Association All-Mid-Atlantic Region team
"Tom's strengths for this position are readily apparent: he played here, he coached here as an assistant to former head coaches Bill Berrier and George Zanic, and he has led teams to championships as a head coach. Few individuals have been better prepared for a head coaching position as Tom Gibboney is to be head baseball coach at Juniata College," said Larry Bock, Juniata's athletic director.
"I know firsthand that Tom is a terrific teacher, and his teams are going to be well-prepared and excel. I look forward to seeing the continued resurgence of Juniata baseball with Tom at the helm."
Gibboney has served as an assistant to former head baseball coach George Zanic during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, helping lead the Eagles to a combined record of 47-29-1. He previously served as assistant baseball coach from 1996 to 1998, concurrent with his stint as Juniata's head football coach. Juniata's 1998 squad finished with a 20-17 record, the most wins for the program in seven seasons, and advanced to the Middle Atlantic Conference tournament.
From 1999 to 2005, Gibboney was head baseball coach at Huntingdon Area High School, where he led the Bearcats to a Pennsylvania AA state championship in 2000 with a 9-7 win over Greencastle-Antrim. He guided Huntingdon back to the state title game in 2004, where the Bearcats dropped a 6-3 decision to Northeastern High School. During his seven-year tenure, Bearcat baseball claimed three District VI championships.
"Obviously, I have aspirations to continue the success that coaches Zanic and Berrier had here at Juniata, and I hope to make this a smooth transition so that our graduating seniors can have a successful conclusion to their collegiate careers. Beyond that, we will work to build on our great baseball tradition and hopefully achieve new levels of success as we head into the Landmark Conference," said Gibboney.
Gibboney is a 1978 graduate of Juniata College with a Bachelor of Science degree in social work. He played baseball for then-head coach Bill Berrier, a 1960 Juniata graduate who played in the Los Angeles Dodgers farm system from 1960 to 1965, and then managed in the Dodgers' farm system for 11 seasons before returning to Juniata. As a Juniata student-athlete, Gibboney was the recipient of Juniata's Stanford Mickle Award - presented annually to Juniata's top senior male athlete.
Gibboney has nearly 30 years of coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels, and previously served as Juniata's head football coach from 1995 to 1998.
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