Centenary University

Scott Kushner enters the 2022 season as the winningest coach in program history.

Over the last 13 years, Kushner has guided the Cyclones to success on an off the diamond. 

On the field, Kushner’s teams have amassed 174 victories as well as numerous individual and team accolades. Under his guidance, the team has earned six postseason berths, including four CSAC tournament appearances and two ECAC tournament appearances.

During Kushner’s tenure, 43 Cyclones have earned All-Conference Awards, including 2016 CSAC Rookie of the Year, Trey Hinkle; 2013 CSAC Player of the Year, Joe Forcellini; and 2015 CSAC Player of the Year, Ryan Caparoni. Caparoni also became Centenary baseball’s first All-American after a remarkable senior season. 

Most recently, John Tierney, ‘18 earned All-Conference honors before signing a professional contract with the Old Orchard Beach Surge in the Empire League. In his first professional season, Tierney earned a spot in the Empire League All-Star game and was eventually named the Empire League Rookie of the Year.

Seventeen Cyclones have been recognized on the All-State Team with another eight players earning All-Region honors. Additionally, Kushner has coached two ABCA/Rawlings Gold Glove Award winners, three Centenary Athletes of the Year, two Centenary Rookies of the Year, and four Cardy Gemma Award winners – Centenary’s highest honor for student athletes.

Under Kushner, the Cyclones’ accomplishments in the classroom have been just as impressive. A whopping 164 baseball players have made the CSAC All-Academic team by posting a 3.2 GPA or higher during their season. The team has also boasted an ESPN/Co-SIDA All-Academic winner, two Presidential Scholars, an Arthur Ashe Scholar Athlete Award recipient, two Centenary Scholar Athletes of the Year, as well as the highest men’s team GPA nine times. The commitment to academic success is no better illustrated than by Alan Sciarrillo, ’17, winner of the Welsh Prize Award after graduating with a 3.97 GPA.

In addition to mentoring the Cyclones, Kushner launched an ambitious initiative to build the program’s first true home field. The baseball complex, "Our Diamond of Dreams," is a fully synthetic turf facility that provides the team with a long overdue place to practice and play on campus.  The $2.8 million project was funded entirely through donations, including grants from the Steve and Sharon Somers Philanthropic Fund, the Reeves Foundation, and Major League Baseball’s Baseball Tomorrow Fund. Construction for the field began in the fall of 2018 and was officially opened at the October 5, 2019 Ribbon Cutting Ceremony. 

Despite two COVID-shortened years, Our Diamond of Dreams has delivered on the promise of elevating baseball in the region.  In addition to Centenary baseball, Our Diamond of Dreams has also hosted local high school contests, state tournament games, and over 8,000 players in competitive summer tournaments. 

In August of 2021, Kushner collaborated with Baseball For All, a non-profit organization that champions gender equity in baseball, to create an important moment in baseball history.  Together, they organized the first ever Women’s Collegiate Baseball Tournament, bringing aspiring female ballplayers from around the country to compete.  The event gained attention and acclaim from national media, including CBS This Morning and Deadspin.

Kushner joined the staff at Centenary after a two-year stint at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, NY where he was the head baseball coach and the Director of Physical Fitness in 2007. While at USMMA, he handled all baseball operations and over his two-year tenure, was able to improve the program’s output in nearly every statistical category. On the fitness side, Kushner oversaw the physical fitness assessments for the entire regiment of Midshipmen, which totaled over 1,000 students.

Prior to his time in Kings Point, Kushner was an assistant/interim head coach at his alma mater, Swarthmore College, from 2003-2006. He also launched the college’s first strength and conditioning program and served as the Strength and Conditioning Director from 2005-06.

Prior to coaching, Kushner was a four-year starting center fielder at Swarthmore from 1999-2002. During his playing career, Kushner served as a two-year captain. He also earned the Hustle Award (1999), was a two-time Dick Hall Award Winner (2001-02), and an All-Centennial Conference selection (2001-02), while finishing his career among the top 10 in numerous statistical categories in the school’s record book.

Kushner holds a Bachelor of Art’s degree in sociology from Swarthmore (2002) and a master’s degree in sports management from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst (2004).

Kushner and his wife, Tiffany, currently reside in Hackettstown are proud parents of their son, Collin, and daughter, Nyla.