The 2009-10 season will be the first year as Director of Athletics for Dan Palumbo after serving on an interim basis last season, while he will be entering his ninth season as head coach of the baseball program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Under Palumbo, the John Jay baseball program has made the City University of New York Athletic Conference (CUNYAC) playoffs every year, and the Bloodhounds have been to the conference championship game three times in the past four seasons, including a win in 2007.
Since coming aboard just before the 2002 season, Palumbo has resurrected the baseball program to new heights. He took over a program which won just one game the year before he arrived. And in his first season he guided the Bloodhounds to the conference championship.
In 2006 he led John Jay to their first regional postseason appearance in eight seasons when the team earned a post-season berth into the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro Division tournament, where they earned a spot in the championship game. Then the following season Palumbo led the Bloodhounds to 27 wins and once again earned a trip to the ECAC Metro Regional tournament, while winning the CUNYAC Coach of the Year award for the second time in as many seasons.
During his time at John Jay, Palumbo has been awarded the prestigious John Jay College Employee of the Year award, as well as the American Italian Coalition of Organizations (AMICO) Achievement Award for outstanding work in the community. He received both of these awards in 2007.
Under Palumbo’s direction, the baseball team, also in 2007, was presented with a Proclamation from the City of New York at City Hall by New York City Councilwoman, Gale Brewer, due to the tremendous amount of community service the baseball team provides to its local community. Palumbo also received citations from the State Senate due to his outstanding contributions to the community.
Furthermore, Palumbo was the head coach of a CUNYAC baseball All-Stars team in 2007 which traveled to Italy as part of a conference Goodwill Tour.
With a vast amount of hitting expertise, the Bloodhounds led the nation in triples in 2006 and finished second in the nation in batting average in 2007. They have hit over .330 as a team for the last four years.
Prior to coming to John Jay Palumbo spent three seasons as head coach at New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) representative Ramapo College. While at Ramapo, Palumbo, who also served Director of Intramurals, Coordinator of Events, and served on the S.A.A.C committee, inherited a team that had won only six games the year before. By the end of his appointment the Roadrunners had tripled their number of wins, and in the process they defeated the defending national champions two seasons in a row.
While at Ramapo, Palumbo also received the ECAC Service Award (in 2000), and was directly responsible for instituting new programs to their athletic department, including alumni and parent booster clubs, student/athlete progress reports, Athletic Department nights, and team recruiting visits. He was the Athletic Department Coordinator of Fall-Fest, the school’s yearly alumni weekend.
At John Jay, he has initiated the Athletic's department Alumni BBQ as well as the baseball fundraising dinner, the Lou DeMartino Memorial which has been honoring local lifetime baseball figures and Bloodhound alumni since 2002. He has also involved the baseball team with many community service and charity projects every year.
In addition Palumbo has served as an assistant at several other colleges in the metropolitan area, including Stevens Institute of Technology, Long Island University, Hofstra University, and University of Rutgers-Newark.
While at Rutgers-Newark, the team led the NJAC in batting average, and was third in the nation in that category. They also led the nation in doubles, runs scored, and runs batted in.
Palumbo is also recognized as one of the finest baseball clinicians in the metropolitan area. He is a regular speaker at baseball camps and clinics throughout the area including Diamond Pros, In the Swing, and the New York Mets Baseball Academy. He is also a regular speaker at the TPX clinics which have been held in cities such as Philadelphia, Boston and Pittsburgh.
He has coached both the New York and New Jersey College Senior All-Star teams at Yankee Stadium, and was the head coach of a high school/college all-star team that represented the United States in European tournaments for two years.
In addition, Palumbo was the executive director of All-Star Baseball Camp, then the largest sleep-away baseball camp in the United States, and is the owner and director of his own baseball camp (The School of Baseball Summer Camps).
Palumbo has also served as president of the Long Island Orioles for 13 season, a summer and fall league organization.
Twenty-three of his players, former college, camp, and summer league players have gone on to sign professional baseball contracts.
Palumbo has also served as the Manhattan Coordinator of the Derek Jeter Turn 2 Foundation, and was involved in helping restore the Downtown Little League. He also coached the Greater New York Sandlot Association all-star game at Shea Stadium in 2003. Currently, Palumbo serves on the committee for the NCAA New York Regional Championship as well as the ECAC Championship selection committee.
Palumbo’s baseball involvement has also included scouting players for the Italian Pro Leagues as well as hosting members of the Italian and European Leagues for baseball in the United States and possible Olympic selections.
Currently Palumbo is a member of the Board of Directors and Vice President/Director of Athletics for the Ty Cobb Athletic Association, now in its 67th year. He was also the featured speaker/instructor at the 2004 PSAL Coaches Seminar, and the PSAL Player's Clinic in 2004, ‘05, '06 and '08.
Through his eight years at John Jay Palumbo has served as Interim Sports Information Director, game management supervisor for various sports, an athletics alumni coordinator, as well as an athletics advisement and retention coordinator. He is also an exercise professional in the college fitness center, and an adjunct lecturer in physical education classes at John Jay.
