Mike Cole is in his fifth year as the Head Coach of the Manhattan Baseball team.

This past season, six Jaspers earned MAAC honors. Jake Knop and Sam Franco were tabbed to the All-MAAC First Team, while Nick Cimillo, Matt Padre and Will Trochiano earned All-MAAC Second Team accolades, with Trevor Santos garnering a spot on the MAAC All-Rookie Team.

Three years ago, Cole guided the Jaspers back to a third place finish at the 2019 MAAC Championship, highlighted by defeating Marist and top-seeded Canisius on day one of the tournament. Cimillo broke onto the scene in a big way, winning MAAC Rookie of the Year and All-MAAC First Team honors and was tabbed to the Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-American team.

Padre was also tabbed to the All-MAAC First team, while Knop and T.J Stuart were cited with Second Team All-MAAC honors. Cimillo also led a trio of MAAC All-Rookie selections (Franco, Jonathan Barditch), as the Jaspers matched Fairfield with a league-best seven honorees.

Additionally, John Cain won a MAAC-best nine game with 96 strikeouts, before inking a free agent contract with the Los Angeles Angels.

In his first season, the Jaspers posted a seven-victory improvement (25) from the previous season. He also helped aid in the development of 2018 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft selections Fabian Pena (25th-Giants) and Joe Jacques (33rd-Pirates).

Manhattan gave eventual Super Regional participant Stetson all it could handle to open the season, before registering series victories at UNC Asheville and VCU during non-conference play. The Jaspers then went on to post series wins over eventual MAAC Champion Canisius and two-time defending regular season champion Fairfield.

Under his guidance, Pena along with Richie Barrella and Stuart were cited as All-MAAC Second Team selections.

Before his second stint in Riverdale, Cole served as the Associate Head Coach at Fairfield, where he has helped the Stags to three 30-win campaigns, back-to-back MAAC Regular Season Championships and a berth in the 2016 NCAA Regionals. Additionally, he helped the 2014 and 2016 squads set school records for victories (32).

Prior to his time in Connecticut, Cole spent two years as the NJIT Head Coach where he mentored current Toronto Blue Jay pitcher Mark Leiter Jr. while leading the Highlanders to a program-best 25 Division I victories in 2012.

No stranger to Manhattan, Cole was a member of the Jasper coaching staff from 2005-2008 while helping lead the Jaspers to a 127-83-1 (.604) record, including 72-27 (.727) during MAAC play. Manhattan won at least 30 games in all four of his years on staff, highlighted by the 2006 squad that won the program's first MAAC Championship before defeating nationally ranked Nebraska and San Francisco in placing second at the Lincoln Regional.

Additionally, seven of his former Jasper student-athletes were either drafted or signed to professional contracts by Major League organizations while Cole also served as the recruiting coordinator during that time. His 2008 recruiting class was ranked No. 2 in the Northeast by Baseball America and would be the cornerstone of the Jaspers' 2011 and 2012 MAAC Championship teams.

A 17-year coaching veteran, Cole has also worked as an assistant at Vermont and Maine and has been a part of eight teams that won at least 30 games, including two that advanced to the NCAA Regional play. Additionally, he has overseen the development of 27 players that have signed contracts with Major League Teams.

He began his coaching career at Vermont under Bill Currier, whom he most recently worked under at Fairfield. In Cole's second year on the staff, 2003, the Catamounts set school records for wins in a season (32) and during conference play (17), while capturing the America East regular season title.

A native of Poughkeepsie, NY, Cole was a four-year standout at the University of Vermont. A 2011 UVM Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, Cole earned All-America East honors at third base as a senior in 2001 and left as the Catamounts' career leader in games played, doubles, and RBI while ranking second in career hits.

Cole graduated from Vermont in 2002 with his Bachelor of Science in Community Development and Applied Economics, with a minor in Small Business.

He and his wife Eliza are the proud parents of Payton and Hunter.

Cole By The Numbers
504 – Wins as a college coach
127 – Victories at Manhattan during his first stint (.604)
84 – MAAC wins at Manhattan (.727)
111 – Head Coaching Wins
66 - Head Coaching Wins at Manhattan
27 – Former players have signed contracts with Major League Teams (2 Major Leaguers)
20 – Years as a coach
15 – Seasons (out of 19) that his teams have reached the postseason
11 – Winning Seasons (14 – Conference)
10 – Former Manhattan student-athletes that have inked contracts with Major League Teams
4 – Schools that have achieved a school record for wins with Cole on staff
3 – Regular Season Conference Titles
2 – NCAA Regional Appearances (2016, 2006)
1 – Major Leaguer Coached As HC (Mark Leiter Jr. – Blue Jays)