Former Dayton baseball coach finds new head coaching job

Tony Vittorio spent 18 seasons at Dayton before stepping down in 2017

Former Dayton Flyers baseball coach Tony Vittorio will return to the game as the head coach at Wilmington College, which announced his hiring late Monday.

Vittorio stepped down at Dayton after the 2017 season, his 18th with the program. He won a school-record 463 games. He joins a Quakers program seeking its first winning season since 2005.

» EARLIER COVERAGE: Vittorio finds job with non-profit foundation

"I want to thank President Reynolds and Terry Rupert for presenting me with the opportunity to be part of the Wilmington College family and entrusting in me to lead the Wilmington College baseball program," Vittorio said in a press release. "I am honored and humbled to have this opportunity of building a competitive baseball program within the Ohio Athletic Conference. Another academic year is right around the corner, and I am excited about working with our players and staff."

Vittorio’s tenure at Dayton ended with five straight losing seasons. His best season came in 2009 when the Flyers finished 38-19 and won their first Atlantic 10 regular-season championship. The 2012 season was another banner season for Vittorio. The Flyers won the A-10 regular-season and tournament titles and played in the NCAA tournament for the first time.

Vittorio coached three future big leaguers while at Dayton: Jerry Blevins (1-1 with a 5.01 ERA in 38 appearances for the New York Mets this season); Craig Stammen (4-1 with a 2.76 ERA in 44 appearances for the San Diego Padres); and Mike Hauschild (7-6 with a 4.91 ERA in 18 starts for the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies).

» LOOKING BACK: Stammen talks about return to big leagues in 2017

Since leaving UD, Vittorio has worked as the development director at Friends of the Jaclyn Foundation in Hopewell Junction, N.Y. According to Wilmington College’s press release, he “was responsible for raising awareness and funds for the organization which teams cancer patient children with high school and college teams across the country to enhance the quality of life for that child while that child is still on earth.”

About the Author