FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2015
ALBANY, N.Y. - The College of Saint Rose announced today that Kyle Wilkins has been named the full-time head coach of the Golden Knights baseball team.
Wilkins, who served as an assistant from 2012-14 and as the interim head coach this past season, is the fourth head coach in the program's 36-year history.
"I am pleased to announce that Kyle Wilkins has been elevated to head baseball coach after serving in an interim capacity during the 2014-15 year. He has spent much of this year instilling his values and vision into the program, which was two wins away from a Northeast-10 Conference postseason berth. Those values include team unity, mental toughness, positive energy, accountability, as well as preparation and focus every day," said Cathy Haker, Director of Athletics and Recreation.
Wilkins brings a wealth of coaching experience from both the collegiate and high school levels, and as a former star player at Ithaca College where he was part of four NCAA Tournament teams, three of which advanced to the regional finals.
Prior to his arrival at Saint Rose, Wilkins worked as the hitting coach for the Amsterdam Mohawks of the Perfect Game Baseball League in 2010 and 2011, and also spent 2004-07 as an assistant coach at his college alma mater. Wilkins helped guide the Mohawks to the 2010 PGBL Championship and directed the Bombers to the NCAA Tournament Regionals in each of his four seasons.
Wilkins was involved with all aspects of the program as a coach at Ithaca, which made a pair of regional final runs throughout his coaching tenure. He assisted with the recruiting efforts in New Jersey, New York State, Pennsylvania and throughout New England.
Wilkins furthermore served as an infield coach, hitting coach, and field manager; and was the first base coach during games. He additionally worked as the head coach of the Bombers' junior varsity squad throughout his first two years.
A graduate and Hall of Fame member of Scotia-Glenville High School, where he competed in three sports, Wilkins was the assistant varsity coach at Columbia High School throughout the four years prior to his arrival at Saint Rose.
He helped guide the Blue Devils to the 2009 section II Class "AA" and Central Region Championships, and the state semifinals. A year earlier, Columbia was the section II class "AA" runner-up.
The groundwork for Wilkins' impending coaching career was set in motion throughout his outstanding playing career at Ithaca where he was honored as the 2003 Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year. He was also a team captain and a four-year starting infielder for the Bombers.
Wilkins holds a bachelor's degree in athletic communications from Ithaca and a master's in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University at Irvine (CA).
Information for this release provided by the Saint Rose Athletic Communications staff.
ABOUT THE NORTHEAST-10
The Northeast-10 Conference is an association of 15 NCAA Division II colleges and universities located in New England and New York that is committed to supporting balanced academic and athletic opportunities for more than 6,500 student-athletes.
Each year, 4,500 of those student-athletes compete in conference championships in 24 sports, making the NE-10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the Northeast-10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.
