 
Neil McPhee Head Coach First season at NU: 1986 Career record: 584-480-4 (.549) Alma mater: Northeastern '68 Individual statistics |
| Baseball 2009 •TEAM PAGE | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | TEAM STATS |
 Husky skipper Neil McPhee has had unmatched success as a coach at Northeastern University and last year was no exception. The Huskies finished the season with a 25-26-1 (12-17-1 CAA) record in its third season in the tough CAA, which was ranked ninth in the nation in RPI, had six teams reach the 30-win mark and sent two teams to the NCAA tournament. McPhee has an amazing history of developing top prospects, including Northeastern star shortstop Mike Lyon, who was picked by the New York Yankees in the 24th round of the 2008 MLB draft. Northeastern now has 13 major league draft picks in the last ten seasons. Carlos Pena is NU’s highest-profile pro player, as he was the 10th overall selection in the 1998 draft by the Texas Rangers and was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year and won the American League Silver Slugger Award for first base in 2007 with the Tampa Bay Rays. Joining Pena into the majors is former Husky catcher Luke Carlin, who played last season with the San Diego Padres. McPhee’s 2008 Huskies had their share of accomplishments this season as three of their players, Lyon, third baseman Mike Tamsin and reliever Sheldon McDonald, were named first-team All-CAA. Also, several offensive records were approached this season. Tamsin finished the season with a record 73 hits and hit a team-best .380, tying him with Hernan Guerrero for the third-highest single-season batting average in NU history. Lyon tied Chris Emanuele’s single-season record for doubles at 19 and set a single-season record for total bases at 138. Catcher Frank Pesanello finished the season with a team-best 51 RBI, making him the fourth Husky ever to drive in 50 runs. Overall, McPhee has a 584-480-4 record in 23 seasons at Northeastern. His 584 wins are the most of any coach of any sport in NU history. McPhee took over the baseball program before the 1986 season and turned it into a perennial America East contender. Northeastern qualified for the America East tournament every year since its inception and McPhee led the Huskies to titles in 1994, ’97 and 2003. He was selected America East Coach of the Year in 1991 and ’94 and, in 1994, he also was voted the New England Div. I Coach of the Year. McPhee joined NU baseball coaching great John “Tinker” Connelly in the NU Hall of Fame in 1980 for his accomplishments in both baseball and hockey. Connelly, McPhee’s coach while at NU and leader of the Huskies from 1956-81, referred to McPhee as, “the best second baseman I ever had.” He was voted All-New England and All-Greater Boston League in each of his three varsity seasons. In 1964, McPhee led the club with a .333 average and 15 RBI, pushing the Huskies to a 14-6 mark and the NCAA District I playoffs. A career .310 hitter, McPhee had seven homers and 41 RBI in 59 games while playing solid defense. McPhee also impressed on the ice for the Huskies. During his two varsity seasons, he scored 35 goals and added 36 assists for a total of 71 points in 50 games. He was voted NU captain in 1964-65, but lost the year to a broken left arm suffered in the preseason. After graduation, McPhee was a fifth-round draft choice of the Minnesota Twins. As a pro, McPhee joined the Wisconsin Rapids and was the Midwest League’s MVP and RBI leader in 1965. The feat earned him a spot on the ’66 Class A All-Star Team. His professional odyssey also took him to stops in St. Cloud, Minn., and Wilson, N.C. McPhee’s pro career ended in 1967 and he turned to coaching. His coaching career started at Newton South High School, where he coached both baseball and hockey from 1968-85. His Newton South baseball teams won several league titles and made numerous Eastern Massachusetts tournament appearances, twice advancing to the finals. In 1985, McPhee became the 10th baseball coach in Husky history. McPhee graduated from Northeastern in 1968 and received a master’s degree from Boston State in 1978. He and his wife Sharon reside in Needham. The couple has three children: Heather, Jessica, and Daniel. |
| Neil McPhee Statistics |
 Year AVG GP-GS AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB-ATT 1963.... .347 18-0 72 16 25 6 1 2 10 0 0 6-6 1964.... .333 20-0 78 19 26 5 2 4 16 0 0 2-2 1965.... .253 21-0 79 21 20 2 0 1 15 0 0 0-0 TOTALS.. .310 59-0 229 56 71 13 3 7 41 0 0 8-8 |
