ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Eckerd Athletics mourns the passing of former baseball coach John Mayotte.
Mayotte coached the Tritons from 1978-90, leading the program to three Sunshine State Conference Championships (1978, 1980, 1981) and five NCAA Championship appearances (1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1987).
Over his 13 seasons at the helm, he amassed 437 victories, winning over 68 percent of his games coached with seven 35-plus win seasons. The team was also ranked No. 1 in the country on three different occasions.
He was tabbed the Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year in 1980 and 1981.
16 Tritons were drafted under Mayotte's tenure, including Steve Balboni and Jim Mecir, who went on to play in the World Series.
Mayotte went on to enjoy a 12-year tenure at Troy State University, including a 1993 Division II appearance in the World Series.
His decorated resume includes 821 wins as a head coach on the collegiate level.
He was the Cape Cod League Coach of the Year in 1985 for the Chatham A's and was a two-time Coach of the Year in the New York Collegiate Baseball League.
Mayotte was inducted into the Eckerd College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.
He is also a member of the State of York Hall of Fame, Troy State Hall of Fame, and the Albany Twilight League Hall of Fame.
A celebration of life is scheduled for June 4, 2022 from 2:00 - 4:30 PM in Hudson Falls, NY at 214 Main Street.
Former players shared their thoughts on Coach Mayotte:
Bob Dobkowski '83 - "Coach Mayotte was the hardest working person on the baseball field every day and the ultimate winner."
John Perillo '82 - "He was a good man. Today is not only a loss for Eckerd but a loss for the game of baseball. He was a true baseball man and dedicated his life to the game of baseball."
Chuck Paiva '81 - "Coach Mayotte was a great man and coach and he really helped prepare us to be in the running for the National Championship every year. More importantly, the life lessons he taught us are what really stuck with me and helped develop all of us."
