Kevin Leighton

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Kevin Leighton
Sport(s) Baseball
Current position
Title Head Coach
Team Fordham
Conference Atlantic 10 Conference
Biographical details
Born (1979-08-28) August 28, 1979
Brewster, New York
Playing career
1998–2001 Seton Hall
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2002–2005
2006–2011
2012–Present
Manhattan (Asst.)
Manhattan
Fordham

Kevin Leighton (born August 28, 1979) is an American college baseball coach, currently serving as head coach of the Fordham Rams baseball program. He was named to that position prior to the 2012 season.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Playing career

After a successful high school career in Brewster, New York, Leighton was drafted in the 1997 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. He instead chose to attend college, and played four seasons with Seton Hall, helping the Pirates to the 2001 Big East Conference Baseball Tournament title, and a pair of NCAA Division I Baseball Championship appearances. Leighton earned his degree from Seton Hall in 2001, and would later add a master's degree from Manhattan College.[1]

Coaching career

After graduating, Leighton accepted an assistant coach position at Manhattan, serving under then head coach Steve Trimper. With Trimper's departure for Maine, Leighton was elevated to head coach, after just four years as an assistant. He led the Jaspers to a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament titles and NCAA Division I Baseball Championship appearances. In his first season, the Jaspers won the MAAC Tournament and advanced to regional final the NCAA Tournament, resulting in Leighton being named the American Baseball Coaches Association Northeast Region Coach of the Year in 2006. Manhattan would repeat the performance in 2011, but fell in both NCAA Tournament games. In his time at Manhattan, Leighton coached 51 All-Conference players and produced eleven professional players. On July 18, 2012, Leighton was named head coach at Fordham.[1]

Head coaching record

This table shows Leighton's record as a head coach at the Division I level.

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Manhattan (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) (2006–2001)
2006 Manhattan 34–23 17–9 2nd NCAA Regional
2007 Manhattan 35–19 21–5 2nd MAAC Tournament
2008 Manhattan 31–20–1 19–5 1st MAAC Tournament
2009 Manhattan 35–18 18–6 1st MAAC Tournament
2010 Manhattan 31–20 15–9 4th MAAC Tournament
2011 Manhattan 34–19 20–2 1st NCAA Regional
Manhattan: 200–119–1
Fordham (Atlantic 10 Conference) (2012–present)
2012 Fordham 22–34 12–12 8th (13)
2013 Fordham 22–33 8–16 12th (15)
Fordham: 44–67 20–28
Total: 244–186–1

      National champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference tournament champion
      Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference division champion

    See also

    References

    1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Kevin Leighton". Manhattan Jaspers. Retrieved December 1, 2013. 
    2. 2013 Yearbook. Manhattan Jaspers. p. 88. Retrieved December 1, 2013. 
    3. "2013 Baseball Coaching Staff". Fordham Rams. Retrieved December 1, 2013. 
    4. "Kevin Leighton named Fordham coach". ESPN. July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2013. 
    5. "Leighton takes over as head coach at Fordham". College Baseball Insider. July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2013. 
    6. "Leighton takes over at Fordham". NCAA. July 18, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2013. 
    7. "Ex-Manhattan Jaspers Coach Kevin Leighton Moves To Fordham". CBS 2. July 19, 2011. Retrieved December 1, 2013. 
    8. Dennis Waszak Jr. (June 2, 2011). "Upset-minded Manhattan ready for NCAAs, Florida". USA Today. Retrieved December 1, 2013. 
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