Juniata Names Tom Gibboney New Baseball Coach

HUNTINGDON, Pa. - Long-time Juniata College baseball assistant and former Huntingdon Area High School baseball coach Tom Gibboney has been named head baseball coach at Juniata College.

"Tom's strengths for this position are readily apparent: he played here, he coached here as an assistant to Bill Berrier and George Zanic, and he has led teams to championships as a head coach. Few individuals have been better prepared for a head coaching position as Tom Gibboney is to be head baseball coach at Juniata College," said Larry Bock, Juniata's athletic director.

"I know firsthand that Tom is a terrific teacher, and his teams are going to be well-prepared and excel. I look forward to seeing the continued resurgence of Juniata baseball with Tom at the helm."

Gibboney has served as an assistant to former head baseball coach George Zanic in each of the past two seasons, helping lead the Eagles to a combined record of 47-29-1. He previously served as assistant baseball coach from 1996 to 1998, concurrent with his stint as Juniata's head football coach. Juniata's 1998 squad finished with a 20-17 record, the most wins for the program in seven seasons, and advanced to the Middle Atlantic Conference tournament.

From 1999 to 2005, Gibboney was head baseball coach at Huntingdon Area High School, where he led the Bearcats to a Pennsylvania AA state championship in 2000 with a 9-7 win over Greencastle-Antrim. He guided Huntingdon back to the state title game in 2004, where the Bearcats dropped a 6-3 decision to Northeastern High School. During his seven-year tenure, Bearcat baseball claimed three District VI championships.

"Obviously, I have aspirations to continue the success that coaches Zanic and Berrier had here at Juniata, and I hope to make this a smooth transition so that our graduating seniors can have a successful conclusion to their collegiate careers. Beyond that, we will work to build on our great baseball tradition and hopefully achieve new levels of success as we head into the Landmark Conference," said Gibboney.

Gibboney is a 1978 graduate of Juniata College with a Bachelor of Science degree in social work. He has nearly 30 years of coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels, and previously served as Juniata's head football coach from 1995 to 1998.

Gibboney will begin his new duties with the Eagle baseball program immediately. He will continue to serve as defensive coordinator for the Juniata football team. He will replace George Zanic, who resigned in December following his election as district attorney for Huntingdon County.

Juniata baseball went 17-17-1 last season, its fifth-straight season with a .500-or-better record. The Eagles return eight position starters and five pitchers from the 2007 squad that finished fifth in the Commonwealth Conference with a 10-10-1 league record.