Tony Guzzo, one of the deans of collegiate baseball in the State of Virginia, guided the Monarchs to one of the most dramatic turnarounds in school history. After a 2-9-1 start, the youthful Monarchs came back to go 33-24-1, earn the number one seed in the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament and advance to the NCAA Regional as a number two seed as an at-large selection.

Guzzo was named Co-Coach of the Year in the State of Virginia, and won his 200th game at Old Dominion with a 2-1 win over Virginia Commonwealth. After sweeping back-to-back three-game conference road series against East Carolina and VCU, along with two wins against N.C. State, the Monarchs entered COLLEGIATE BASEBALL'S top 30 at number 29.

Through sixth seasons at Old Dominion University, Guzzo has led the Monarchs to two CAA titles and three NCAA Regional appearances. The Monarchs won CAA crowns in 1995 and 1996. His Monarchs have reached the CAA title game four of the last six years.

In 1999, Old Dominion was 38-17 and advanced to the CAA finals before losing to East Carolina. Along the way, the Monarchs defeated Rutgers three times, N.C. State twice as well as South Carolina, Kentucky and Virginia. Guzzo joined the prestigious 600-win club with a 5-2 victory over his alma mater, East Carolina on April 25th.

In 1998, the Monarchs lost to Richmond in the CAA Finals. In 1997, Old Dominion took second in the CAA with an overall record of 34-20. Old Dominion rolled to a 39-17 record in 1996, won the CAA title and competed in the NCAA Regionals.

Guzzo joined the prestigious 500 career collegiate win club on April 16, 1996 as the Monarchs defeated Liberty University.

In his first year as Old Dominion University's head coach, Tony Guzzo guided the Monarchs to the Colonial Athletic Association title and to the semi-finals of the Atlantic I Regional in Tallahassee, Fl. The Monarchs compiled a 39-20 record. The Monarchs ranked 30th in the final COLLEGIATE BASEBALL poll, and were 11th in the final NCAA Ratings Percentage Index(RPI).

Tony Guzzo is a six-time Conference Coach of the Year, and two time District Coach of the Year, who took North Carolina Wesleyan to two consecutive NCAA Division III World Series appearances. He led Virginia Commonwealth to the 1992 NCAA Central Regional Final and the 1992 Metro Conference title, as well as a 1988 Sun Belt Conference title. Guzzo served as the head coach at VCU for 12 years prior to coming to Old Dominion in 1994.

Guzzo was named Dixie Conference Coach of the Year in 1980,1981 and 1982 and was the District III Coach of the Year in 1981 and 1982. He was also nominated for National Coach of the Year honors in both 1981 and 1982. The Sun Belt Conference honored him in 1988 and the Metro in 1992. He was also the Virginia Collegiate Coach of the year in 1988 and 1989.

While at VCU, he compiled a 329-300-1 from 1983-1994. Prior to that he rolled up a 102-66 record at North Carolina Wesleyan, taking that club to the NCAA Division III World Series in 1981 and 82. Both teams placed fourth in the nation.

He served as a graduate assistant baseball coach at East Carolina from 1976-78 and as head baseball and football coach at Norfolk Catholic High School from 1972-76. His career collegiate head coach record stands at 609-469-2.

Guzzo led VCU to the Sun Belt Conference title and their first NCAA tournament appearance in 1988 with a 45-16-1 record, while earning Coach-of-the-Year honors for himself.

The team tied for first nationally in stolen bases (197) and ranked fifth in pitching ERA. In 1989, VCU finished second in the Sun Belt East Division with a 30-15 record. The squad ranked as high as 22nd nationally. The squad's pitching staff ranked seventh nationally.

In 1991, the Rams posted a 38-20 record and followed in 1992 with a 35-22 mark, capturing the Metro Conference Championship. The Rams earned an at large bid to the NCAA tournament and were seeded sixth in the Central Region in Austin, TX. After losing to the top seeded Texas Longhorns, the Rams stormed back to defeat nationally ranked Creighton, Long Beach State and Texas, before losing to the Longhorns in the finals.

Guzzo's history making success at North Carolina Wesleyan, located in Rocky Mount, NC., put the Division III school on the map, as he led his teams to two straight Dixie Conference crowns and appearances in the World Series, both 1981 and 1982. He was named Dixie Coach-of the Year for three consecutive years and in 1982, led the squad to a No.1 ranking by COLLEGIATE BASEBALL MAGAZINE. Three of his players off that squad were drafted, (two in 1981 and one in 1982) becoming the school's first student-athletes to sign professional contracts.

While at Norfolk Catholic, Guzzo led the Crusaders to four consecutive conference titles and was named Tidewater Conference baseball coach of the year in 1974. His baseball teams won three league titles(1973,74 & 76), while posting an 86-33 record (.761). He also compiled a three-year record of 17-11-2 (.607) as the school's football coach. The 7-2-1 mark in 1978 was the second best record in school history. Prior to going to NCHS, Guzzo served as an assistant baseball and football coach at Elm City High School in Elm City, NC.

In all, through 21 seasons, his teams have won 30 or more games 11 times, including ten of the last 13 years. In addition, Guzzo has had a total of 35 (three at N.C. Wesleyan & 20 at VCU) of his student athletes drafted or signed as free agents by professional baseball.

Three of his former pitchers, Jamie Brewington (San Francisco Giants), James Austin (Milwaukee Brewers) and Jerry DiPoto (Colorado Rockies) have pitched in the major leagues along with catcher Mark Strittmatter,now with the Colorado Rockies. Matt Williams will be pitching for the Milwaukee Brewers this season.

Guzzo played both baseball, as a catcher and football as a placekicker at fellow CAA institution East Carolina University. He and his wife Kitsy are the parents of two children; a son Anthony, 21 and a daughter Gina, 15.

A native of Norfolk, Guzzo graduated from Norfolk Catholic High School in 1967 and earned a B.S. degree in health and physical education from East Carolina University in 1971. Guzzo was named the University's tenth head baseball coach on July 12, 1994. He was born, Jan. 7, 1949.

GUZZO LEDGER

1979 18-19     North Carolina Wesleyan
1980 22-19     North Carolina Wesleyan
1981 33-13     North Carolina Wesleyan@&
1982 29-15     North Carolina Wesleyan@+
1983 13-32     Virginia Commonwealth
1984 19-28     Virginia Commonwealth
1985 20-32     Virginia Commonwealth
1986 26-32     Virginia Commonwealth
1987 25-22     Virginia Commonwealth
1988 45-16-1   Virginia Commonwealth #*
1989 30-15     Virginia Commonwealth
1990 18-29     Virginia Commonwealth
1991 38-20     Virginia Commonwealth
1992 35-22     Virginia Commonwealth**%
1993 30-27     Virginia Commonwealth$
1994 30-25-1   Virginia Commonwealth
1995 39-20     Old Dominion *&
1996 39-17     Old Dominion *&
1997 34-20     Old Dominion
1998 28-29     Old Dominion&&
1999 38-17     Old Dominion&&
2000 33-24-1   Old Dominion*
     -------------------------------------
     642-493-3 (.565) in 22 yrs
     211-127-1 (.624) in 6 yrs at ODU.

     % Metro Conference Champion
     $ Metro Conference Tournament Finalist
     # Sun Belt Conference Champion
     & Dixie Conference Champion
     + Dixie Conference Co-Champion
     & Colonial Athletic Assoc. Champion
     && CAA Tournament Finalist
     ** NCAA Regional Finals
     * NCAA Regionals
     @ NCAA Division III World Series

COACH OF THE YEAR AWARDS

1980  Dixie Conference Coach of the Year
1981  Dixie Conference Coach of the Year
      NCAA Div. III District 3 Coach of the Year
      National Coach of the Year Finalist
1982  Dixie Conference Coach of the Year
      NCAA Div. III District 3 Coach of the Year
      National Coach of the Year Finalist
1988  Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year
      Virginia Collegiate Coach of the Year
1989  Virginia Collegiate Coach of the Year
1992  Metro Conference Coach of the Year
1996  Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year
2000  Co-Virginia Collegiate Coach of the Year.

Career Wins