Caldwell College Men's Baseball

Nick Luciano, who served as assistant coach for four seasons, was promoted to become the sixth Caldwell University Baseball Head Coach in September 2024. In his first year at the helm, he led the Cougars to their most wins (21) and CACC victories (14) since 2008. Luciano's aggressive coaching style led to the Cougars smashing the school stolen base record with 154 (15th in the NCAA). His first-year squad also ranked 16th in the nation in turning double plays (43). Luciano brings a wealth of experience to his new role. In addition to helping the Cougars reach the CACC North Division Championship Game in his first year as an assistant on the Cougars sidelines, he has served as third base coach for the past two seasons, including 2023 when the squad earned its most wins in more than a decade. Prior to becoming the assistant coach at Caldwell, Luciano spent two years with County College of Morris as the recruiting coordinator and hitting coach. In 2019, the Titans captured the Garden State Athletic conference title. The program saw multiple All-Region and Conference players with one All-American under the assistance of Coach Luciano. The 2019 Titans would go on to break the majority of their previously held offensive records and being among the national leaders offensively in the NJCAA, posting a team batting average of .323 with 389 runs, 496 hits, 791 total bases, 62 home runs, and .932 OBP in a 49-game span. Luciano was previously an assistant for Whitehouse Post 284 for two seasons where Post 284 captured two district championships and a New Jersey state final runner-up. He was also the Head Coach of the ABCCL Gamers, a summer collegiate league in New Jersey, for two years, winning the North Division in 2020, his first season at the helm and the ABCCL Championship in 2021. “Coach Luciano is prepared and ready to continue the growth and success of our program," noted Caldwell University Hall of Famer Hasani Whitfield, who Luciano replaced in the head coach role. "His journey as a former player into a current coach has been special to watch and experience personally. I look forward to watching him lead this program and more importantly my Alma Mater.” Luciano played collegiately at Union County College for Jon Lewis, where he would earn All-Region accolades and then transfer to finish his baseball career at Queens College, where he played for former Caldwell Head Baseball Coach Chris Reardon.

Jerry Gamone, a 2023 Caldwell graduate, returns to his alma mater as assistant coach in 2025. Gamone pitched for five seasons with the Cougars, including the COVID-shortened 2020 year. He made 48 appearances on the mound, including 15 starts, and posted an 11-11 record, three saves and 6.75 ERA over 125 1/3 innings in his career. His most productive season was 2022, when he had a 3-2 record, mostly in relief, and team-best 2.96 ERA in 24 1/3 innings. He also had a 3-2 mark as a senior in 2023, with two saves in 15 appearances.

Zach Fernandez was named Caldwell University coach in September 2024. He brings extensive experience from his five seasons at the University of Rhode Island, where he was a standout reliever.  Fernandez ranks fourth all-time at URI in appearances with 78, recording 11 wins, pitching 127.2 innings, and striking out 121 batters while holding opposing batters to a .267 average. He also played a key role in helping the Rams win the A10 Conference regular season title in 2021.  He earned his Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations from URI in 2023. His expertise on the mound makes him a valuable asset to Caldwell's coaching staff.

Kieran Koch comes to Caldwell after serving as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Susquehanna University for the past three years, where he assisted in all aspects of the program.  Coach Koch will be leading the Cougars recruiting efforts while assisting with pitching, hitting, and base-running.  During that time the River Hawks earned 16 Landmark All-Conference honors, in addition to four All-Region and one All-American winners while appearing in the conference playoffs each of his three seasons. In 2023, Koch and the River Hawks saw a Landmark Conference championship and an appearance in the NCAA Regional Finals. From the 2022-2024 seasons, Susquehanna’s pitching staff recorded 911 strikeouts including a program record 322 in 2023. The River Hawks also accumulated 365 stolen bases during Koch’s tenure breaking several program and conference records for both individuals and the team along the way.  Prior to Susquehanna, Koch was part of the inaugural coaching staff of Mary Baldwin University's (Va.) newly-formed baseball program, a role he served in between Fall 2019 and Spring 2021. Battling through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, academics and recruiting remained steady as the team roster grew to 37 and the team GPA to above 3.1. He was the Pitching Coach at MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois during the 2016-17 season. That spring the Highlanders finished ninth in the nation in K/9 (8.71) towards their third straight 20-win season.  Koch also acts as the Recruiting Coordinator for TBT New York, a showcase travel baseball organization based in Rockland County, N.Y., a role he has held since 2017. In that time, Koch and TBT have placed over 100 prospective student-athletes at the collegiate level. Koch, a left-handed pitcher, played his college ball at Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire from 2012 to 2015. He earned a Bachelors in Sport Management along with being part of the program's only two NECC championship teams.