John Russo Baseball Camp Staff
John Russo
John Russo was named head coach of the Hofstra Baseball program on May 6, 2012, after serving as interim head coach since January 2012. Russo is in his fourth season on the Hofstra Baseball staff and is the 14th head coach in program history. Russo, who has served as recruiting coordinator and infield coach as well as the third base coach, joined the Pride in 2008 after spending the previous five summers as the manager of the Vermont Mountaineers of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, leading the team to back-to-back NECBL championships in 2006 and 2007. From 2001 to 2005, Russo served as assistant coach at Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana. In his role as infield coach, St. Joseph's led its conference in fielding and ranked in the top 10 nationally three times during his four seasons. Russo also monitored the academic progress of his team, which compiled an overall GPA of 3.1 during his tenure. Russo began his career in 1998 as hitting coach at the University of West Alabama, helping the team set nine individual and team batting records in his three seasons. A 2000 graduate of West Alabama with a degree in secondary education and a concentration in physical education, Russo had been a teacher and athletic director in the Millburn School District in Wadsworth, Illinois, from 2005 to 2008. Russo and his wife, Stacey, have been married for 11 years and have four children - Hailey (8), Lainey (6) and twins Palmer and Chase, who were born in September 2011. The Russo family resides in East Meadow, New York. |
Vincent Colasuonno
Assistant Coach Vincent Colasuonno is in his first season as an assistant coach for the Hofstra Pride baseball program. Colasuonno, who will serve as the Pride's pitching coach, brings a great deal of experience to the table as he has more than 30 years of playing and coaching experience including several seasons coaching in the Italian Baseball League. Last season Colasuonno served as the pitching coach at Chaminade High School in Mineola, New York, which won the 2011 Catholic League championship. Colasuonno has also been a coach for the Long Island Storm for more than 20 years, winning 10 National Amateur titles. In 2006 he coached the Long Island Storm squad that traveled to Sicily and appeared in the AABC World Series. He began his coaching career in 2002 as a volunteer hitting instructor at Molloy College and then moved on to serve as the pitching coach for the San Marino National Team in the Italian Baseball League in 2003. In 2007 he served as a player-coach for the Padule Baseball Club in Florence, Italy. Colasuonno completed his run in Italy in 2009 by serving as an assistant coach for Lodi in the Italian Baseball League. A 1983 graduate of Valley Stream South High School where he was a two-time All-Long Island selection, Colasuonno began his playing career at Lamar University in Texas before transferring to New York Tech after his freshman year. |
Kelly Haynes
Assistant Coach Kelly Haynes, a 1996 graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, North Carolina, is in his second stint as an assistant coach for the Hofstra University Baseball team. Haynes, who will work with the Pride's outfield, hitters and serve as the third base coach, brings 10 years of collegiate experience to the Hofstra dugout. Haynes had served as an assistant coach during the 2010 season before spending the 2010-11 academic year at Catawba Valley Community College in Hickory, North Carolina. At Catawba Valley, Haynes served as the associate head coach and was responsible for working with the hitters as well as the infield defense. In his one season he helped guide the second-year program to a 38-15 record and as high as a #3 ranking in NJCAA Division II. Haynes also coached at his alma mater for eight seasons (1997-03, 2007). During his tenure, he served as a recruiting coordinator, infield coach and assisted with hitters. Haynes helped the school win conference tournament championships in 2000 and 2001. He also was part of a staff that led Lenoir-Rhyne to school records for wins in four different seasons, including the current mark of 35 wins in 2007. Lenoir-Rhyne appeared in the NCAA Division II South Regional in 2001, and also finished in the Collegiate Baseball Top 25 that season. Haynes coached 22 all-conference performers, five All-South Region selections and two conference rookies of the year during his time with the Bears. Haynes, who played two seasons at Brevard College from 1992 to 1993, was named Offensive Most Valuable Player at Lenoir-Rhyne in 1995, and was named to the South Atlantic Conference All-Tournament Team in 1996. Haynes and his wife Angie, have one daughter, Maddie (9). He currently resides in East Meadow, New York. |
Chris Johns
Assistant Coach Chris Johns is in his first season as an assistant coach with the Hofstra Pride baseball program. Johns, who will work with the catchers and assist with the pitching staff, comes to Hofstra after three seasons at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs, Iowa. During his tenure at Iowa Western, Johns served as varsity pitching coach and head junior varsity coach. In 2010 and 2012 he was part of a Reivers team that won the NJCAA Division I National Championship, while in 2011 the team finished third at the Junior College World Series. The 2011 squad also posted the lowest ERA in the nation, a school record 3.09. As pitching coach, Johns was responsible for daily practice structure, arm care workouts, throwing programs and video review. He also assisted in the day-to-day operations of the Iowa Western program, including recruiting, travel coordination, field work, throwing batting practice and overseeing summer camp planning. In addition, his duties as JV coach included recruiting a team, practice planning and scheduling. In his three seasons at Iowa Western Johns coached seven pitchers to All-Region XI honors, including two that won Pitcher of the Year accolades. He has also had 17 pitchers move on to four-year institutions. Prior to Iowa Western, Johns was a volunteer coach at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado, from 2007 to 2009, where he worked with the pitching staff, catchers and outfielders. He has also been a pitching coach with the Keene Swamp Bats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (2009) and the Duluth Huskies of the Northwoods League (2008). Johns, a 2006 graduate of the University of Northern Colorado with a degree in social sciences, began his collegiate career at Lamar (CO) Community College He posted a 21-1 record and a 2.28 ERA in his two seasons, and holds the career wins record at the school. Prior to the 2004 campaign, Baseball America named him its Preseason Pitcher of the Year. After graduating from Lamar, Johns played one season at Louisiana-Lafayette before transferring to Northern Colorado to finish out his career. |