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Coaching Staff

Head Coach
Matt LaBranche
Tel. 413-782-1792

Assistant Coaches
Joel Southern
Brendan Witherell
Joe Golec

Email:
mlabranc@wnec.edu

Athletics Staff
Tel. 413-782-1202
Fax. 413-796-2121

Michael Theulen
Athletic Director

Joe Sassi
Associate
Athletics Director

Cyndi Costanzo
Assistant Athletics Director

Ken Cerino
Athletic Communications Director

Kim O'Leary
Head Athletic Trainer

Mike Vallee
Athletic Trainer

Western New England College

Baseball Coach
Matt LaBranche

Matt LaBranche is in his sixth year as the head baseball coach at Western New England College in 2005. The former Springfield College standout ranks among the top coaches in the region with a 124-76 record that is the third highest win total in the program's 36-year history. He is third in winning percentage (62.0).

LaBranche's teams have participated in fourth straight post-season tournaments and he was the Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Coach-of-the-year in 2001 and 2004.

In 2004, LaBranche guided the Golden Bears to a 33-14 record that was a school record for wins, breaking the old mark of 29 set in 2002. Western New England College placed third in the GNAC during the regular season, but captured the conference tournament.

WNEC capped its best season ever by placing third among six schools at the NCAA Division III New England Tournament.

Western New England College to a 22-18 record in 2003 and placed second at both the GNAC and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III New England Tournaments.

LaBranche directed his squad to a 29-12 mark in 2002 that was a school record for wins in a season, breaking the old mark of 26 set in 1986. WNEC won the regular season conference title with a 15-1 record and finished second in the ECAC Division III New England Tournament.

In 2001 LaBranche led the Golden Bears to a 21-15 record and the program's first GNAC Tournament crown. WNEC also participated in the school's first-ever NCAA Division III Championship.

LaBranche made a successful debut as a head coach in 2000 leading the Golden Bears to a 19-17 record and a second place showing in the GNAC Tournament.

LaBranche is a 1992 graduate of Springfield College where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. He received his Master of Science degree in physical education in 1994.

While at Springfield, La Branche was a standout catcher for the Chiefs hitting a team-high .385 his senior season. With LaBranche helping to lead the way, Springfield posted a 23-21 record in 1992, captured the Northeast-10 Conference Tournament title, and placed second in the NCAA Division II Northeast Regional Tournament.

LaBranche was selected the 1992 Springfield College Senior Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

LaBranche, a native of Windham, New Hampshire, was a three-sport standout at Pinkerton Academy. He served as a captain of the baseball and basketball teams, and a letterwinner in soccer.

LaBranche helped lead Pinkerton to the New Hampshire Class "L" basketball title as a senior. He was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.

Assistant Coach Joel Southern

Joel Southern is in his third year as an assistant coach for the Golden Bears. Southern's duties include working with hitters and outfielders and coaching third base.

This summer , Southern served as the first head coach of the Holyoke (Mass.) Giants, a club in the wood-bat New England Collegiate Baseball League that is a sanctioned by the NCAA while receiving support from Major League Baseball.

Southern previously served as an assistant coach at Elmhurst (Ill.) College and at the University of Chicago.

Southern authored a baserunning article entitled "Comprehensive Baserunning: Fundamentals and Situations" that was published in the February 20, 2004, edition of Collegiate Baseball (ÒTime Must Be Spent on Lost Art of BaserunningÓ) and in the Summer 2003 edition of the American Baseball Coaches AssociationÕs Coaching Digest.

Southern graduated summa cum laude from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, in 1994 with a bachelor of science degree in chemistry.

At Augustana, Southern was a three-year starter and letter-winner as an infielder and designated hitter on the baseball team, and a two-year letter-winner as a wide receiver on the football team. He had a career .308 batting hitter and was named second-team All College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) as a designated hitter in 1994.

Southern also was named to the Academic All-CCIW team and was a third-team selection on the GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-America baseball team in 1994. He received the team leadership award as team captain following the 1994 season.

Southern had transferred to Augustana from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where he had participated as a reserve infielder for one year.

Southern, who also serves as an assistant professor of chemistry at Western New England College, received a Ph.D. degree in inorganic chemistry from the University of Chicago in 1999 and a M.Ed. degree in physical education (concentration in athletic administration) from Springfield (Mass.) College in 2004.

A native of Latham, Ill., Southern resides in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, with his wife, Carey.

Assistant Coach Brendan Witherell

Infield and hitting instructor Brendan Witherell enters his third year as an assistant coach serving as the Golden Bears infield and hitting instructor.

Witherell is a 2002 graduate of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where earned a dual major Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Economics as well as dual concentrations in finance and management information systems.

A three year varsity member and two year starter at shortstop, Witherell earned all conference honors his senior year. He helped the Red Hawks to three consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, was an NCAA All-Tournament selection as a junior and captained the team to a fifth place finish at the 2002 NCAA Division III Baseball Championship his senior year.

The Westfield, Masachusetts native has spent the past two summers coaching in collegiate summer leagues, with the Middletown Giants of the New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) in 2003 and with the Bourne Braves of the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2004.

Student Assistant Coach Joe Golec

Former Golden Bears standout Joe Golec will serve as the WNEC pitching coach this fall.

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