TCNJ, located in EWING, N.J., has made an exciting announcement. On Wednesday, the school's Director of Athletics Liz Shatkus revealed the appointment of Joe Godri as the interim head baseball coach. Godri, with an extensive coaching background, brings a wealth of experience to the Lions program.

Coach Godri's Impressive Career

Godri's coaching journey is truly remarkable. He most recently served as the head coach at Villanova University from 2002 to 2016, becoming just the third coach in the last 43 years. During his 15 seasons at the helm of the Wildcats, he amassed an astonishing 360 wins. This remarkable feat led Villanova to two 30-win seasons and two appearances in the BIG EAST Championship. His 360 career victories stand as the second-most in the program's history, highlighting his exceptional coaching abilities.Godri also oversaw significant individual success with the Wildcats. He coached 28 All-BIG EAST selections and three All-Americans. A remarkable 24 of his players went on to get drafted into the pros. As a result of his outstanding coaching, he was named to the USA Baseball selection committee in the summer of 2006. This prestigious role allowed him to assist in player selection for the collegiate National Team, which went on to win gold in the World Championships held in Cuba.Before his time at Villanova, Godri served as the head assistant coach at New Mexico State from 1994 to 1997. During this period, he played a crucial role in helping the Aggies break into the national rankings for the first time in program history. He then spent one season as an associate scout for the Cleveland Indians before moving on to the pitching staff at the University of Utah for two years. It was in the 2001-2002 academic year that he began his long-standing tenure as the head coach of the Wildcats.After 26 consecutive years as a Division I coach, Godri took a brief break to serve as the Director of Athletics at Penn State Schuylkill from 2017 to 2021. However, his love for the game brought him back to the diamond, and he is now set to join the TCNJ program. TCNJ is just two seasons removed from winning its eighth NJAC title since 2000, and Godri's arrival is expected to further enhance the program's success.Godri himself played collegiate baseball at Colorado State and earned his bachelor's degree in education from the University of Pittsburgh. He also holds a master's in marketing and management from New Mexico State.