SUNY Brockport Athletics

SUNY Brockport Director of Athletics Dr. Erick Hart announced the hiring of Nick Pontari as the 13th head coach in the storied history of the Golden Eagle baseball program on Wednesday June 18, 2025.

Pontari, a proud Brockport alumnus, former assistant coach, and team captain, returns to his alma mater to lead the program he helped build—this time as its head coach. He succeeds his longtime mentor and the all-time winningest coach in program history, Justin Beach, who transitions into a new role as Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance within the Department of Athletics.
 
Pontari most recently served as the head coach at Russell Sage College, where he launched the program in 2020. In just four seasons, he led the Gators to two Empire 8 Conference Tournament finals and one regular season conference crown. Known for his relentless recruiting, he brought in student-athletes from nine states and three countries, growing the program to over 40 players. His teams also excelled in the classroom, posting a cumulative GPA increase from 3.09 to 3.41 under his leadership. He also led the program in fundraising, generating over $98,000 to support team travel, equipment, and operations.
 
In addition to his baseball leadership, Pontari held several prominent campus roles at Russell Sage. As Assistant Athletic Director, he oversaw home game management, supervised athletic event staff, served as liaison with admissions, and sat on the Institutional Success Team, working to improve retention and academic outcomes for student-athletes across all programs. He also served as the college’s SAAC Advisor, leading dozens of community engagement initiatives.
 
Pontari’s versatility was on full display when he took over as Interim Head Field Hockey Coach from 2022–2024. He rebuilt the program’s roster and structure, recruited 12+ new student-athletes, and guided the team to a cumulative 3.69 GPA in his first semester at the helm.
 
His coaching résumé includes stops at Cornell University (Division I), the Glens Falls Dragons of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League, and an impactful run as an assistant and associate head coach at SUNY Brockport (2015–2019). During that time, Pontari recruited and developed numerous All-Conference and All-Region players, managed the pitching and catching staff, and played a key role in fundraising and academic support.
 
A two-year varsity player and captain at Brockport, Pontari earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education (2016) and master’s degree in athletic administration (2018) from SUNY Brockport. He was honored with the program’s Leadership Award and was a Male Physical Education Major of the Year nominee.