Coaching Staff

Mike Russo joined the Monmouth Baseball coaching staff in August 2022. Russo, who most recently spent six seasons at Princeton, will be the Hawks pitching coach.

“We are real happy to welcome Mike aboard,” said Ehehalt. “Mike will have an immediate impact with our players and definitely will provide a great deal of experience coming from Princeton. Mike is a hard worker and I am certain he will be an outstanding addition to our Monmouth program in many ways.”    

Russo comes to West Long Branch after six seasons at Princeton working with the pitching staff. He oversaw four All-Ivy pitchers, including 2016 Ivy League Pitcher of the Year Chad Powers, who pitched to a 2.45 ERA with six wins in 11 starts. In 2018, pitcher Ben Gross was selected in the MLB Draft by the Houston Astros after earning All-Ivy honors.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to be part of the Monmouth Baseball staff,” said Russo. “I’m looking forward to competing in the CAA this year.”

In Russo’s first season at Princeton in 2016, he helped the Tigers to the Ivy League title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. The pitching staff improved its earned run average by over two runs that year, posting a 3.95 team ERA.

Russo was drafted in the 2008 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies out of the Hun School, and attended North Carolina State before transferring to Kean University. At Kean, Russo was named the 2011 NJAC Pitcher of the Year and picked up ABCA/Rawlings and D3Baseball.com All-America honors, going 10-2 with a 1.93 ERA. He went 7-1 as a senior, helping lead the Cougars to a second straight College World Series.

Russo previously coached at his alma mater, the Hun School for three seasons as well as at Kean. He also served as a pitching coach for Forest City in the Coastal Plain League.