Bob Whalen retired in early July after 36 seasons as the winningest baseball coach at a single institution in Ivy League history. 

Talk about leaving on a high note: While he was coach, the Big Green racked up a whopping 653 wins. He guided his teams to 365 Ivy League victories—a .542 winning percentage and the most league victories by any program during that time. The Big Green under his leadership also had 80 first-team All-Ivy selections—the highest total in the league then.

As the longest-tenured Division I head coach at the same school, Whalen also won two Ivy League championships, appeared twice in NCAA tournaments, and led the Big Green to 11 Ivy League Red Rolfe Division titles—including eight straight from 2008 to 2015. 

“I’ve been fortunate, not just to have the opportunity to be a Division I coach but also to do it at a place such as Dartmouth,” Whalen says. “I view what I do as a teacher. Player development is at the core of every program. Every kid needs to feel that coaches are invested in making them better every day. And, at this high level of competition—at a place that values and pursues excellence in both academics and baseball—one of the greatest things has been that students can do both without having to prioritize one over the other. The young people here want to be great—not just good—at both school and baseball.”

His players—Whalen has sent 28 of them to the pros—say they were the fortunate ones. “He held us to a high standard on and off the field, and he pushed us to exceed what we thought we were capable of as student-athletes,” says Yankees first baseman Ben Rice ’22. “He was the driving force behind our strong team culture and strived for nothing short of excellence.”

“Coach Whalen’s impact on my life is immeasurable,” says former outfielder Damon Wright ’08. “What really stands out is how deeply he cares about his players and their development, both on and off the field,” adds Matt Klentak ’02, a shortstop and team captain who worked as general manager of the Philadelphia Phillies and is now executive advisor to the Milwaukee Brewers’ general manager. “Give a rouse for a great man and a great career.” A true home run.