Born August 20, 1967, he is a 1985 graduate of Cardinal Mooney High School, later attending both Hiram College and Youngstown State University.
His well-rounded resume includes his days as a standout scholastic and sandlot baseball player, was a highly-competitive basketball player for the Cardinals, served as a high school basketball and baseball coach, sandlot baseball manager, color analyst for Youngstown State University football games and commentator-analyst for YSN (Your Sports Network) telecasts of high school football, basketball and baseball games.
During his days as a student at CMHS, he earned three letters in baseball for the Cardinals under head coach Ron Stoops, was captain his senior year and named “Most Valuable Player” of the 1985 Parochial Baseball Tournament.
He helped the Cardinals to the 1985 District baseball crown while in basketball, under the tutelage of Roy Nard, he earned three more letters, was captain his senior campaign and helped the Cards to the 1984 District championship.
On the summer sandlots from 1982-85, he played for the Astro Falcons in the local Class “B” League, winning the league batting title in 1985.
He gravitated to coaching right out of high school and from 1986-2000, served as an assistant boys basketball coach at his alma mater, working under auspices both Roy Nard and Nick Bellino.
He also served on the staff of Cardinals head baseball coach Tom Flynn and from 2000-03, was the head boys basketball coach at arch-rival Ursuline High School – he later served as an assistant for the Fighting Irish diamond squad from 2014-17 – and from 2004-06, was the CMHS head basketball and baseball coach where he led the latter to back to back (2004-05) district titles and eventually the regional finals.
His star shone brightest, however, on the local Class B circuit – he also starred on the diamond in the area’s Class AA Lague – where he was a three-time NABF (National Amateur Baseball Federation) World Series champion as a coach and Connie Mack World Series titlist.
He was manager of the local Astro Falcons squad from 1990-96, led the squad to the Connie Mack World Series championship in 1990 then as manager of its 14-U and 16-U squads, won NABF World Series crowns.
He served as assistant manager of the Astro Falcons 18-U NABF World Series championship team and from 2013 to the present, has served as general manager of the Astro Falcons’ multiple baseball squads.
For his efforts, he was named NABF “Man of the Year” in 2018.
The general manager of Bob Cene Park in Struthers, he was also field manager of Pony League Baseball and has played an integral part in the success of the OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) district baseball tournament, which has been held at Cene Park for the past three decades.
He has served as a radio analyst for high school basketball at iHeart Radio as part of their high school football broadcast team along with Jim Evans and Ron Potesta and since 2018, has been general manager of innovative YSN (Your Sports Network) telecasts.
From 2018 to the present, he has served as color commentator for all Youngstown State University football broadcasts along with play-by-play broadcaster Bob Hannon and since the 2013-14 season, has been the official clock operator for all YSU men’s and women’s basketball contests.
He is the proud father of two children, son Daniel and daughter Grace.
He resides in Boardman.
Doors open at 4 p.m., dinner will be served at 5 p.m. with the program set to commence at 6 p.m.
Individual tickets are $60 each, tables of eight $480 and will be available after February 1.Further information can be obtained by calling 330-506-6774 or by visiting the organization’s website at www.thecurbstonecoaches.org.
