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William Paterson baseball coach Jeff Albies, in his 29th season as
Pioneers' coach, won his 775th career game on April 28 when he guided his
team past New Jersey City, 23-14. The victory improved his career record
to 775-334-10.
During his tenure, Albies has coached William Paterson to NCAA Division
III national championships in 1992 and 1996, the first two national titles
in school history. In addition, he has piloted the Pioneers to 18 NCAA
regional invitations, 11 New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) crowns and
seven regional titles, most recently in 1999 when his team finished third
in the nation. The 11 NJAC championships are the most any conference
program has captured since 1975. He entered the season sixth among active
Division III coaches in victories and ranks among the Top 15 in winning
percentage among current coaches.
His success has led to numerous honors. Albies will be inducted into the
American Baseball Coaches Association's Hall of Fame in January, 2004.
Also, the ABCA selected Albies as its national Coach of the Year in 1992
and 1996, and also picked him as its Mid-Atlantic Regional Coach of the
Year nine times (1982, 1988-89, 1992-93, 1995-97, 1999, the same number of
times the NJAC honored him as its Coach of the Year (1982-83, 1987, 1989,
1991-93, 1995-96). Meanwhile, the New Jersey Collegiate Baseball
Association gave him its annual coaching award on six occasions (1982,
1987, 1989, 1991-92, 1996). Meanwhile, 28 of his players have played
professionally.
In addition to his work at William Paterson, Albies has long been a
champion of college baseball in New Jersey and across the country. He has
served as the baseball chairman of the NCAA Division III Championships
committee (1992-96) and the chairman of the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic
Region (1990-96), while also serving on the NCAA Division III
All-American, NCAA Selection and Legislative Action, and ABCA committees.
He also coached in the prestigious Cape Cod League (1982) for top
collegiate players and gave clinics as a guest of the Romanian Baseball
Federation (1993).
After playing at Long Island University, Albies was a second baseman in
the Atlanta Braves organization for four years (1965-68) and also played
professionally in Canada (1969-70) before starring in the local semi-pro
Metropolitan Baseball League, which inducted him into its Hall of Fame in
1990. He was also inducted into the Bergen County Baseball Hall of Fame in
1995.
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