A 1966 graduate of Ithaca College, George Valesente has served as the Bombers’ head coach since 1979. Valesente, who was inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame in January, entered the 2005 season fifth among active Division III coaches in victories and 19th in winning percentage.
During Valesente’s college athletic career, he lettered in soccer, basketball and baseball and played on NCAA playoff teams in all three sports. In three varsity basketball seasons he scored 745 points, and at the time of his graduation he ranked third on the all-time school scoring list. Valesente’s success carried over to baseball, where he set school single-game records for at-bats (seven) and runs scored (five).
From Ithaca, Valesente entered the professional baseball ranks. He spent four seasons in the minors, advancing as far as the Triple A level with the International League’s Buffalo Bisons, the top farm team of the Washington Senators, in 1969.
Following his playing career, Valesente coached baseball at Brockport and at New Paltz for two seasons each. He was baseball and soccer coach at Maritime for two years before returning to Ithaca in 1978 to take his current post.
Valesente has guided the Bombers to two national championships (1980 and 1988), nine World Series and 27 NCAA postseason berths in all. His teams have never had a losing season and have won nearly 70 percent of their games. The Bombers have captured 15 league titles and two runner-up finishes during Valesente’s career. Ithaca has won the last five Empire 8 titles.
Valesente has coached 21 all-Americans and 27 players who have signed professional baseball contracts.
He has been honored many times for his coaching accomplishments. The Ithaca Journal selected Valesente as its male coach of the year in 1980 and 1988, he was voted the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division III coach of the year in 1980 and 1988 and he earned district coach of the year recognition in 1980, 1981, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992 and 1994.
Valesente’s brother, Bob ’62, was a long-time assistant coach in the National Football League.
