Al Donovan
Al Donovan

Bio

Al Donovan was hired as Salem State University’s head baseball coach in August 2016. Previously, Donovan served as pitching coach and recruiting assistant for the Vikings for two seasons.

As pitching coach, Donovan guided the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference’s top ranked pitching staff in 2015&16, helping Salem State earn back-to-back conference championships along with two NCAA Tournament bids. The team won four NCAA Regional games and defeated number 1 seeds (Southern Maine (2015) and Wheaton (2016).  Under Donovan the Vikings' pitching staff has had the lowest ERA and least amount of hits given up. In 2015 the Vikings posted a stingy 2.41 ERA and only 72 hits in 97 innings and in 2016 Donovan’s staff posted a 2.32 ERA and 87 hits in 97 innings.
 
Donovan has developed one of the top pitching staffs in the region while coaching 2016 All MASCAC and All New England Regional team pitcher Sean Buckland, who went 9-0 with a 2,46 ERA and in 2015 Mike Richardson, who posted an 8-2 record with an impressive 1.15 ERA over 47 innings pitched while Andrew McLaughlin went 5-0 over 43.1 innings pitched with just six walks. Coach Donovan has inserted a state-of-the-art pitching program that consists of short burst conditioning, weight room, swimming pool and a throwing program.
 
Currently, Donovan is the co-owner of the Academy Tigers, a highly competitive AAU baseball program. With over 20 years of experience, he has helped develop numerous high school players achieve success across all collegiate divisions. Prior to his involvement with AAU baseball, Donovan began his coaching career as an assistant at Central Connecticut State, where he worked with the pitching staff while also serving as recruiting coordinator. Donovan was also instrumental in the success of the North Shore Baseball League, where he played and managed before serving two separate stints as league commissioner. Donovan was elected into the North Shore Baseball League Hall of Fame in 2006. 
 
A graduate of Central Connecticut State University, Donovan was a standout pitcher for the Blue Devils, earning Division I All New England honors after transferring from Western Carolina, where he was named to the Southern Conference All-Freshman team after helping the Catamounts win the 1985 Southern Conference Championship.  Donovan, a 1984 graduate of Lynn Tech posted one the schools best records in school history with a 21-3 record over a three year period and being named to the 1984 Massachusetts High School All Star team.  Al currently lives in Nahant with his wife Kim and two sons Tyler and Conor.