Brookville, N.Y. - Earlier this month, Director
of Athletics and Recreation Bryan Collins (Sayville, N.Y.)
announced the hiring of Mike Gaffney (Westbury, N.Y.) to lead the
LIU Post baseball program.
Gaffney, an assistant coach for the Pioneers last year, takes over
for his father, Bill Gaffney, who had to step down due to personal
reasons prior to the 2014 campaign.
"Entering the 2014 season, I wasn't sure what to expect, with it
being my first year as a part of the LIU Post baseball program,"
Gaffney said. "It did not take long for me to realize that this was
a special place, and something that I wanted to be a part of. After
meeting the entire athletic staff and other coaches within the
department, the family atmosphere and winning tradition that has
been established here is exactly what is needed to be successful on
the field and off of it. I believe that this baseball program has
not come close to realizing its full potential and I am excited to
get this upcoming season started so we can begin the steps in
making this a championship-level program again."
"Our next step is to get the whole baseball family, including
future, current and former student-athletes, excited about the
future of this up-and-coming baseball program," he added.
An infielder by trade, Gaffney played his college ball down the
road at NYIT and was drafted twice during his time with the Bears.
In 2002, he was selected in the 49th round of the MLB June Amateur
Draft by the then Florida Marlins. A year later, the Kansas City
Royals selected him in the 13th round.
Gaffney would go on to play five seasons of Minor League ball,
reaching the AA level in 2007.
After his playing days, Gaffney went on to be the associate head
coach with the Long Island Collegians, a collegiate summer team
playing in the Atlantic Collegiate Baseball League. He mentored the
defense, planning all defensive strategies and positioning, and
served as the bench coach during games.
The Pioneers wrapped up the 2014 season at 18-19, including an
11-13 clip in East Coast Conference play. Third baseman Tom Tolan
(Malverne, N.Y.) earned ECC Player of the Year praise after posting
a .361 batting average and leading the green and gold in hits (44),
total bases (51), slugging percentage (.418), and on-base
percentage (.435).
Provided by the LIU Post Sports Information Department.
