Bob Whalen - Baseball Coach - Dartmouth College Athletics

Photo by: Clyde Click

Bob Whalen

Title:
Head Coach
Alma Mater:
Maine ’79
Email:
Robert.D.Whalen@dartmouth.edu
Phone (603):
603-646-2477
At Dartmouth:
37th Year (1990-)

A mainstay in Hanover, Bob Whalen is in his 37th year as Dartmouth's head baseball coach for the 2026 campaign. After terrific success as a coach at the University of Maine, Whalen has guided the Big Green to success both on and off the field since his arrival prior to the 1990 season.

Under Whalen's leadership, the Big Green have accumulated 653 victories (his 600th came in the final game of the 2019 campaign), a Dartmouth record. Whalen's 635th career win, a 3-1 victory over Yale, made him the winningest baseball coach at one institution in the Ivy League, passing Penn's Bob Seddon.

The Big Green have also won two Ivy titles and 11 Red Rolfe Division crowns, plus have had 80 first-team all-conference selections and sent 28 players to the professional ranks — including five to the big leagues — during Whalen’s tenure. Five of his players have been named the Ivy Player of the Year, four more have been the league’s Pitcher of the Year and a league-record eight have earned the Ivy Rookie of the Year Award.

In the 2025 pre-season poll, Dartmouth was picked to finish seventh in the Ivy League. The Big Green went on to post an 8-13 record in conference play, winning one more game than they did in 2024, finishing fifth overall. They were also in playoff contention for most of the season, finishing only one game out of their first Ivy League tournament appearance.

Dartmouth had multiple standout moments in 2025, starting the season with two one-run games at No. 16 Texas. The Big Green also went on to win two of three against Penn, the second best team in the Ivy League, sweep Cornell, and defeat Holy Cross, the eventual Patriot League Champions.

The Big Green struggled in 2023, but came back stronger in 2024, quadrupling their win total from a year prior. In addition to Whalen's win milestone, the Big Green had more great moments, including a come from behind, walk-off victory over Brown, securing the series sweep, the first time Dartmouth has swept the Bears since 2015.

The 2022 season re-established the Big Green as a team to be reckoned with coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic as the team compiled a 14-7 record in the Ancient Eight — winning six of the seven conference series — to finish third in the standings, and a 24-19 mark overall. Outfielder Kade Kretzschmar was selected as the Ivy League Player of Year while shortstop Tyler Cox led the league in batting to claim the Blair Bat Award while also taking home the Rookie of the Year honor as as well as a spot on the All-New England Second Team. Joining that duo on the All-Ivy first team was utility man Justin Murray, who also was named to the second team as a starting pitcher along with three teammates.

The 2021 season was canceled and the 2020 campaign was abruptly ended after seven games due to the pandemic, but that did not stop catcher Ben Rice from being selected in the 2021 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees in the 12th round, the 27th time a Dartmouth player was picked during Whalen’s tenure.

In 2019, Dartmouth had its streak of 11 consecutive winning seasons in league play come to an end, posting an 8-13 record against the Ivy League and 15-26 mark overall. Steffen Torgersen and Sean Sullivan both earned first-team All-Ivy honors, and the latter also was named to the All-New England Second Team.

The 2018 campaign was the first without the divisional format since 1992, and Dartmouth recorded its 11th-consecutive winning season in conference play with a record of 12-8-1 to finish third, just half a game behind Columbia. Dustin Shirley was named the Ivy League Player of the Year, while five others earned all-conference recognition.

The Big Green had the 2017 Ivy League Pitcher of the Year in Beau Sulser and second-team All-Ivy selection Michael Danielak anchoring the rotation, with both getting selected in the top 20 rounds of the MLB Draft. The team posted an 11-9 mark against the league, finishing second in the Rolfe Division, while going 22-17-1 overall.

In 2016, Dartmouth finished tied atop the Rolfe Division standings but came up a run short in the divisional playoff game at Yale, ending its run of eight consecutive division crowns. Seven players earned All-Ivy League honors, including three on the first team led by pitcher Duncan Robinson, who went on to be selected in the ninth round of the MLB Draft by the Chicago Cubs.

The Big Green won their eighth-straight Rolfe Division title in 2015, thanks in large part to sweeping the 12 games against the other teams in the division, just the second time an Ivy team has accomplished that feat. Six players earned All-Ivy League recognition, including Robinson who was named Pitcher of the Year, and three were selected for the All-New England teams. But Columbia nipped the Big Green in the Ivy League Championship Series, two games to one, to earn the league’s automatic berth into an NCAA Regional.

In 2014, Dartmouth won the division title, but not without some late-season drama as the Big Green had to win their final six Ivy League games to tie Yale atop the standings. Dartmouth hosted the one-game playoff an soundly defeated the Bulldogs, 11-4, but could not continue its magic in the ILCS. Eight players earned All-Ivy honors, and Jeff Keller was named an Academic All-American for a second consecutive year.

The 2013 campaign was a record-setting year as the Big Green won a school-record 32 games and put a league-record eight players on the All-Ivy First Team. The entire weekend starting rotation signed contracts with MLB organizations after the season, three of whom were chosen in the MLB First-Year Player Draft (Mitch Horacek, Michael Johnson and Cole Sulser), as the Big Green pitching staff posted a 2.75 ERA, the lowest in 42 years. In addition, Keller led the nation in doubles per game and ranked fifth in slugging percentage, and Joe Purritano was pegged as the Ivy League Rookie of the Year.

Eight players earned All-Ivy honors for the 24-18 Big Green in 2012, while Jake Carlson garnered a spot on the All-New England team after leading the league with a .397 average. Shortstop Joe Sclafani and catcher Chris O’Dowd both signed professional contracts after being selected in the 14th and 23rd rounds, respectively, of the draft.

In 2011, Whalen led the Big Green to their first 30-win season with a .714 winning percentage. No less than 10 of his players received All-Ivy honors, four being named to the first team, while three earned All-New England status. After the season, right-hander Kyle Hendricks signed with the Texas Rangers after being taken in the eighth round of the draft, the highest Big Green selection in seven years. Three years later, he made his MLB debut with the Chicago Cubs and posted a 7-2 record with a 2.46 ERA in 13 starts.

The Big Green claimed their second straight conference championship in 2010, defeating Columbia in the Ivy Championship Series to earn the league’s automatic bid to an NCAA Regional. Dartmouth picked up its first victory in a regional game in 23 years when it defeated Florida International, 15-9, then nearly knocked off #20 Texas A&M in a 4-3 loss. O’Dowd was the conference co-Rookie of the Year while the pitching staff led the nation in fewest walks allowed per nine innings for the second straight year.

The New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association named Whalen its Jack Butterfield Award winner in 2010 as well, given annually to a regional coach who exhibits the integrity and dedication to the game that Coach Butterfield displayed during his long career at the University of Maine. The award has special meaning to Whalen, who played and coached at Maine shortly after Butterfield’s tenure. As a freshman, Whalen was a teammate and classmate of Butterfield’s son, Brian, who went on to a professional playing career in the minor leagues.

Whalen earned his 384th career victory during the 2010 campaign — a 5-4, 10-inning thriller at Princeton — pushing him past Jeff Tesreau (1919-46) as Dartmouth’s all-time winningest coach.

In 2009, the Big Green won the Rolfe Division with a 16-4 record to lead the league. Dartmouth capped off the decade by capturing the conference crown, defeating Cornell in the Ivy Championship Series to advance to an NCAA Regional. Nick Santomauro, the Player of the Year and Blair Bat Award winner, was drafted in the 10th round of the draft by the New York Mets, with whom he signed after his junior campaign.

Whalen’s 2008 squad began the string of division titles with a 15-5 mark, earning the right to host the best-of-three Ivy Championship Series. A school-record five players were named to the all-league first team, including senior co-captains Damon Wright and Russell Young — the latter named the Ivy Pitcher of the Year. Both were selected in the draft and enjoyed fine professional debuts in short-season ball. For his leadership, Whalen was named the New England Coach of the Year.

During the 2006 season, Whalen led a team comprised mostly of freshman and sophomores to a 20-19 overall record and second-place finish in the Rolfe Division. Two of the victories came against nationally ranked opponents: #21 Pepperdine and #28 Cal Poly.

The Big Green captured back-to-back Red Rolfe Division championships in 2000 and 2001 and then again in 2004. The 2000 squad featured the Ivy League Player of the Year (Brian Nickerson), Rookie of the Year (Mike Mileusnic), and Pitcher of the Year (Conor Brooks) as that trio led Dartmouth to a 17-3 mark in Ivy play. The .850 winning percentage is the fourth best all-time in Big Green history, and second only to the .875 percentage (14-2) posted in 1987 over the last 60 years.

The following season, Scott Shirrell claimed Rookie of the Year honors for the team that went 22-18 overall and 12-8 in the league. Dartmouth defeated Brown in a one-game playoff to advance to the Ivy Championship series.

The Big Green owned the Ivy’s best league record at 15-5 in 2004 to win the Rolfe Division crown. Shortstop and future big leaguer Ed Lucas was named the conference MVP while pitcher Stephen Perry was selected as the loop’s top rookie. Lucas went on to reach the major leagues in 2013 with the Miami Marlins.

Since the beginning, Whalen has instilled success in the Big Green program. In 1990, he guided Dartmouth to a 21-17 overall record, the most wins ever for a first-year Big Green coach. Whalen’s first captain, Mark Johnson, went on to play seven years in the big leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Anaheim Angels and New York Mets.

Prior to his arrival at Dartmouth, Whalen was an assistant at the University of Maine from 1982-89 and was promoted to associate head coach in 1987. From 1982-87, he worked mainly with infielders and outfielders while serving as the strength and conditioning coach and the recruiting coordinator.

As the Black Bears pitching coach from 1985-1989, Whalen tutored 11 hurlers who eventually signed professional contracts, including the 1993 National League Cy Young Award runner-up, Billy Swift. In addition to Swift, Whalen mentored future major leaguers Joe Johnson (Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays), Jeff Plympton (Boston Red Sox) and Larry Thomas (Chicago White Sox).

All told in his eight seasons as an assistant, 12 position players signed professional contracts, with six making it to the big leagues. That list includes shortstop Mike Bordick, and outfielder Mark Sweeney, both of whom played 14 season in the majors. During his stint at Maine, the Black Bears made seven postseason appearances, winning the NCAA Northeast Regionals from 1982-1984, and advancing to the College World Series, then again in 1986.

In addition to his collegiate coaching career, Whalen served as the head coach of the Chatham A’s of the Cape Cod League in 1988 and 1989, leading the team to the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. While with Chatham, Whalen coached former Houston Astros first baseman Jeff Bagwell, the 1994 National League MVP, and 25 others who signed professionally.

Whalen also spent the summer of 1997 with Team USA as the business manager during its tour of America, Japan and Spain. That team, which finished fourth at the Intercontinental Cup in Barcelona, Spain, featured major leaguers Josh Bard, Pat Burrell, Adam Everett, Casey Fossum, Brad Lidge, and Brian Roberts.

A 45-year active member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA), Whalen officially became the president of the ABCA for the 2025-26 season. He served as the Second Vice President in 2024-25.

Previously as a member of the ABCA, Whalen also chaired the committee for the Lefty Gomez Award, the biggest award given out by the ABCA to an individual who has distinguished himself among his peers and has contributed significantly to the game of baseball locally, nationally and internationally.

A student-athlete at the University of Maine under the legendary John Winkin, Whalen earned a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in international affairs in 1979 before earning his MBA in finance in 1986. Whalen lives in Hanover with his wife, Kim, and they have a son and a daughter, Matt and Katie.

Whalen's Coaching Record
		Overall				Ivy/EIBL
Year	School	W	L	T	Pct	W	L	T	Pct	Finish
1990	Dartmouth	21	17	0	.553	10	8	0	.556	4th (EIBL)
1991		15	21	0	.417	9	7	0	.563	t-3rd (EIBL)
1992		9	25	0	.265	6	8	0	.429	t-5th (EIBL)
1993		14	19	0	.424	8	12	0	.400	Rolfe 4th
1994		16	21	0	.432	9	11	0	.450	Rolfe 2nd
1995		19	17	0	.528	12	8	0	.600	Rolfe 2nd
1996		12	25	0	.324	8	12	0	.400	Rolfe 3rd
1997		22	16	0	.579	11	9	0	.550	Rolfe 3rd
1998		23	18	0	.561	7	13	0	.350	Rolfe t-3rd
1999		17	24	0	.415	9	11	0	.450	Rolfe 3rd
2000		29	14	0	.674	17	3	0	.850	Rolfe 1st
2001		22	18	0	.550	12	8	0	.600	Rolfe t-1st
2002		21	20	0	.512	9	11	0	.450	Rolfe 3rd
2003		17	19	0	.472	10	10	0	.500	Rolfe 2nd
2004		25	17	0	.595	15	5	0	.750	Rolfe 1st
2005		14	21	0	.400	8	12	0	.400	Rolfe 4th
2006		20	19	0	.513	13	7	0	.650	Rolfe 2nd
2007		8	29	1	.224	5	15	0	.250	Rolfe 4th
2008		25	17	0	.595	15	5	0	.750	Rolfe 1st
2009		27	18	0	.600	16	4	0	.800	Rolfe 1st / Ivy Champs
2010		27	19	0	.587	13	7	0	.650	Rolfe 1st / Ivy Champs
2011		30	12	0	.714	14	6	0	.700	Rolfe 1st
2012		24	18	0	.571	14	6	0	.700	Rolfe 1st
2013		32	9	0	.780	15	5	0	.750	Rolfe 1st
2014		18	21	0	.462	11	9	0	.550	Rolfe t-1st
2015		21	22	0	.488	16	4	0	.800	Rolfe 1st
2016		18	25	0	.419	11	9	0	.550	Rolfe t-1st
2017		22	17	1	.563	11	9	0	.550	Rolfe 2nd
2018		17	22	1	.438	12	8	1	.595	3rd
2019		15	26	0	.366	8	13	0	.381	t-7th
2020		2	5	0	.286	-	-	-	—
2021	Season canceled — COVID-19
2022		24	19	0	.558	14	7	0	.667	3rd
2023		3	38	0	.073	2	19	0	.095	8th
2024		13	26	0	.333	7	14	0	.333	7th
2025		11	25	0	.306	8	13	0	.381	5th
Total	Dartmouth	653	699	3	.483	365	308	1	.542