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Coaches Corner: Rick Oliveri (Recruiting Coordinator/Asst Coach Monmouth)

January 25, 2016

Charlie Karstedt
Assistant Director, New York

College Coaches Q & A


College or University: Monmouth
Level: Division/Conference Division I/Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
Coaches Name: Rick Oliveri
Coaches Title: Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Playing Career: University at Buffalo (2008)
Coaching Career: Lincoln Memorial University (2009), Radford University (2010-2011), Monmouth (2012-present)

PBR sat down with Monmouth Recruiting Coordinator Rick Oliveri for a Q and A.

PBR: Please give a little background on the Monmouth Baseball Program

Oliveri: Monmouth has been competing at the Division I level since 1984 and in those 30 plus years, we have competed mostly in the Northeast Conference, however, we most recently joined the MAAC two years ago. Head Coach, Dean Ehehalt, has built one of the top programs in the Northeast region in his 22 years at the helm of the Hawks. It's a program I am proud to be a part of and we're excited to continue our winning tradition this year and in years to come.

PBR: What is unique to your program that your staff and team takes great pride in?

Oliveri: We take a ton of pride in doing things the "right way". Coach Ehehalt has built a culture in which doing the right thing is of great importance. This doesn't just mean on the field, but in the classroom, on campus, and in the community.

PBR: What do you look for in potential players?

Oliveri: We look for the measurables that most schools look for, but more specifically we look for self-motivated players who are athletic, tough, great teammates, and a fit for what we do.

PBR: Are there any immediate "Red Flags" when recruiting players?

Oliveri: I wouldn't call them red flags, so much as I would say things come up that make us question whether a certain individual would be a fit in our culture. For example, selfish players or players that don't show respect for the game, his teammates, his coaches or the umpires. Another issue that sometimes gets overlooked is the academic portion of the recruiting process. We don't just look at grades on a transcript. Usually schools list tardiness and absences on the transcript which can tell us a lot about a player's priorities.

PBR: Academically are there any base numbers that you look for?

Oliveri: We look to recruit good students to our program. We want players that aspire to be great in all areas of life--those guys are the most invested in the team's goals and their own player development. For base numbers we want to recruit players who have a 1200 SAT and/or a 3.5 GPA, however, the average SAT of our players is around an 1150 and the average GPA/% is a 3.4/90%.

PBR: Have any players gone on to play professionally from your program if so how many?

Oliveri: We have had over 20 players play professional baseball in the last 10 years including two players to make it onto MLB rosters. Brad Brach (2008) made his MLB debut with the San Diego Padres in 2011 and has appeared in over 250 major league games as a reliever with the Padres and with his current team, the Baltimore Orioles. Brad went 7-1 in 2014 including getting a win in the ALDS! We also had Pat Light (2012 first round draft pick, Boston Red Sox) get added to the 40 man roster for the Red Sox this fall.

PBR: Do you have any interesting facts or stories about Monmouth Baseball?

Oliveri: Our location is hard to beat! Our campus is located .8 miles from the beach here in central New Jersey. It is a beautiful campus in the town of West Long Branch. On our campus is the one time summer home of Woodrow Wilson. Wilson Hall is a National Historic Monument, and it was used in the filming of the movie "Annie". Not only is it within walking distance of the Atlantic Ocean, but there are campus housing options right on the beach.

PBR: Do you have any advice for prospective student athletes?

Oliveri: Work your tails off in the classroom. Every improvement can lead to more opportunities at more schools and also increases your chances for more academic scholarship money. On the baseball field, play hard, have fun, and always remember that body language speaks at high volumes. Coaches want energy givers in their program, and we can see what kind of energy you bring within the first inning of watching you play, even if you don't get any action on defense or get a hit at the plate.

PBR: Do you have any advice for parents of players going through the process?

Oliveri: Help your son narrow his search based on his baseball, academic and social profiles. Rural or city? Big school or small school? Beach or mountains? Make sure a school has his intended major or if he meets the requirements to get admitted to that school. Find out where his fit is athletically (this is the hardest part) and once that list is narrowed down, go to their on campus camps. There is no better place for him to get the best look possible from a coaching staff than at their own camp.

Rick Oliveri
Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
Monmouth University Baseball
732-263-5524/office
732-571-3535/fax
[email protected]
A.M.D.G.


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