Mike Cole is in his fourth year at Manhattan after having spent three years as an assistant coach at the University of Vermont.

Cole works primarily with the infielders, and serves as recruiting coordinator and hitting coach for Coach Leighton, but is involved in all aspects of the program. As recruiting coordinator, Cole helped put together a 2007 recruiting class that was rated the second best in the Northeast by Baseball America Magazine. He was also instrumental in signing Louisville Slugger Freshmen All-Americans Tom Costigan and Brian Pendergast.

The Jaspers ranked 18th in the nation in fielding percentage in 2007, leading the MAAC. Six of the eight everyday starters tallied a fielding percentage of .959 or better.

Cole joined the Catamount staff after graduating from Vermont in 2001 as the program’s all-time leader in RBI, games played, and doubles, and graduated second on the all-time hit list. An All-America East third baseman as a senior, Cole hit .318 over his four-year career with 143 RBI in 181 games.

In 2003 while serving as an assistant coach under Bill Currier, Cole and Vermont shattered the program record book for most wins and most conference wins en route to the Catamount’s first-ever America East Regular Season title. The team finished 32-14, 17-5 in the America East, and also was named New England Team of the Year by the region’s coaches and the Boston Red Sox.

A native of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., he played professionally in Holland in the summer of 2001. He has also coached for Manchester in the NECBL.