Résumé 

Head Coach at Endicott (1995-present)
620-275-12 (.690) overall record, 362-60-2 (.856) in-conference record at Endicott
Ranks 23rd in winning percentage among active NCAA Division III coaches and 32nd all-time through 2015-16 season
Ranks 19th in wins among active NCAA Division III coaches and 28th all-time through 2015-16 season
10 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances ('03-'11, '14)
Two NCAA Division III Regional Finals appearances ('08, '14)
One ECAC Division III New England Championship ('12)
13 Conference Championships (NEWAC '95, GNAC '98-'99, CCC '03-'11, '14)
Four-time CCC Coach of the Year ('99, '02, '08, '14)
Coached 2005 NFCA Second Team All-American pitcher Robyn Savitske '07 
Coached 56 All-Region players
Coached 129 All-Conference players, in addition to seven Players of the Year, eight Pitchers of the Year, and seven Rookies of the Year
74 named Academic All-Conference, including three CCC Senior Scholar-Athletes of the Year 
Ashley Wright '11 (First Team), Hayley Hovhanessian '11 (Second Team), Samantha DiBella '16 (First Team, 2015) named CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District
Coached seven future Endicott Hall of Famers (Melissa Tarpy '98, Heidi Stevens Fazzina '00, Renee Kelly '03, Adrienne Leone '03, Tara Mansour '05, Robyn Savitske Crosby '07, Meghan Sargent Plath '09)

Coaching Philosophy

Six hundred twenty career victories. Thirteen conference championships. Ten NCAA Division III Regional Tournament appearances, including two regional finals. This has been the history of the Endicott softball team under head coach Mark Veilleux through 23 seasons at the helm of arguably one of the department’s most successful programs. 

“Every year I am excited to get going,” says Veilleux. “Endicott has so much to offer.  It is a great academic school with great athletic facilities. The student-athletes we’ve had over the years are exceptional, not just in terms of athletic ability, but they are great to work with.” 

Veilleux’s well-rounded players have accumulated numerous awards and accolades ranging from Player, Pitcher, and Rookie of the Year athletic honors to several players who have been recognized for their hard work in the classroom with Academic All-America status. As head of the athletic department’s community service outreach, Veilleux also knows to look for student-athletes with high moral value who will fit into the Endicott community as well. 

“First, we look for prospective students who are going to cut it academically. Attitude, chemistry, and how they fit into the program are also significant because we want ‘team first’ players that don’t worry about statistics. We’ll talk to high school coaches, summer league coaches, and guidance counselors to get a good read on our recruits.  After all of that, then we look at a player’s softball ability.”

The search for academic and athletic well-roundedness during the recruiting process is extended to the diamond once fall ball practice begins as Veilleux puts a high emphasis on fundamentals with his team every year. 

"We teach our players how to bunt in pressure situations, how to play small ball on both the offensive and defensive side, how to hit and run, how to bunt and run, how to suicide squeeze, and many other things they may not have done at their high school programs. They need to be prepared to run at any given time and in any situation.”

With Veilleux’s aggressive style of play, Endicott softballstudent-athletes are subject to an intense strength andconditioning program run through the department’s on-staff personnel and assistant coach Mark Kulakowski. Veilleux attests that his players over the last few years are in better shape due to these workouts than any previous season.  

The softball program’s success over the years, Veilleux says, would not be what it is were it not for the dedication of his two assistant coaches, Kulakowski and Laura Carlson, who have spent over 25 year combined working with Veilleux. 

“They know the game and they know how to coach.  It is great to have assistant coaches who speak their minds.  I lean on them quite a bit to get their advice throughout the course of an individual game and a season.  With the three of us working together, a roster full of talented players, and the support of a tremendous institution, we know that our program is destined for success.”

Page last updated: 05/17/17