Nick Puccio finished his fifth season with Northeastern baseball in 2023, after joining Northeastern as an assistant coach in 2019. As the Huskies’ hitting coach, he is responsible for all aspects of the team’s offensive development and aids with its recruiting efforts.
Puccio's offense soared to new heights in 2023, setting or tying six individual offensive records and eight team marks. The Huskies had a program-best 44 wins thanks to an offensive explosion that saw a new record in runs scored at 459, due in part to 106 homers, shattering the old program record of 60. Individually, the Huskies saw new season-best records from Danny Crossen, who reached base in 60 consecutive games and had a program record 84 hits, Mike Sirota, who scored a program-best 73 runs in 2023, and Cam Maldonado, who broke the individual rookie home run mark with 13 long balls on the year, breaking the old record of eight. Maldonado's mark was followed up by redshirt freshman Harrison Feinberg, who also surpassed eight homers on the year with his ninth in the conference tournament. Puccio helped coach five all-CAA hitters, three All-Region bats, two All-American selections in 2023, with Mike Sirota making the ABCA/Rawlings Third Team, and Cam Maldonado making the Collegiate Baseball Freshman team.
The 2022 season saw another strong base-running season for the Huskies who finished top-20 in stolen bases for a second straight year, stealing 107 bases on the year. The season also showcased the recruiting prowess of the Huskies coaching staff, including rookie outfielder Mike Sirota, who finished the season with CAA All-Rookie honors. Sirota finished the year with a team-high .326 average, 14 doubles and four homers in 37 appearances, before a season-ending injury.
In his third season with the Huskies in 2021, Puccio's coaching led the Huskies to a CAA-best batting average of .295, which was ranked 31st in the nation. The Northeastern offense was prolific in the 2021 campaign which resulted in the Huskies' first-ever CAA Championship. Along with the title, the Huskies claimed the CAA Player of the Year title under Puccio's leadership as Jared Dupere finished as the conference's top player. Dupere finished the season starting in all 48 contests with a .343 batting average, 21 homers and 50 RBIs. Dupere went on to be named an ABCA/Rawlings All-East First Team member and was drafted by the San Fransisco Giants in the 2021 draft. Puccio helped devlop two draft picks in that season, with outfielder Ben Malgeri being taken by the Detroit Tigers.The Northeastern offense was also highlighted by freshman Max Viera, who was a CAA Rookie Team honoree and a Collegiate Baseball Rookie All-American. Northeastern proved to be the best baserunning team in the conference as well with 118 stolen bases, good for 4th in the nation.
On the recruiting side, Puccio has helped bring in four top-100 recruiting classes in 2020, 2021, 2022, and the upcoming 2023 season. The 2021 recruiting class topped the list as number 55, according to PerfectGameUSA.org.
At Northeastern, Puccio tutored Ian Fair to a CAA batting title in 2019 with a .357 average as the Huskies finished third in the CAA in team batting average. Before the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, junior catcher Teddy Beaudet was having a career year offensively and finished sixth in the conference with a career-best .378 batting average, earning CAA Player of the Week accolades right before the shutdown.
Puccio arrived at Northeastern after previously serving as the head baseball coach at Nichols College. There, he led an immediate, four-year transformation of the baseball program, elevating the Bison from their six-win, 2014 campaign to consecutive 20-win seasons during 2016 and 2017. Under his direction, Nichols enjoyed a record-breaking 2016 season, setting the school’s best all-time mark for single-season victories (24) while reaching the program’s first-ever ECAC Division III New England tournament.
During his five-year tenure at Nichols, Puccio produced 19 all-conference selections (seven All-Commonwealth Coast Conference First Team mentions), three All-New England honorees and two professional baseball players.
Before coaching the Bison, Puccio was the assistant coach at Wheaton College in Norton, Mass., where he helped guide the Lyons to a pair of NCAA Division III tournament appearances (2012, 2013), including a trip to the 2012 College World Series championship game. While serving on Wheaton’s staff, he helped develop 13 student-athletes who went on to collect All-New England honors, coach 13 players to All-NEWMAC (New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference) distinction and craft one All-America selection.
Between collegiate campaigns, Puccio spent the summer of 2013 as the hitting coach for the Hyannis Harbor Hawks of the CCBL, where he instructed 14 MLB Draft picks, including two first-round selections.
In 2011, Puccio’s coaching start occurred at Southeastern Iowa Community College, where he served as the Blackhawks’ hitting coach, catching coach and recruiting coordinator.
Puccio graduated from Dean College in 2007 with his associate of arts degree in education and received his bachelor's of science degree in interdisciplinary studies from Fitchburg State in 2010, having been a baseball student-athlete at both schools.
He and his wife Samantha reside in Rutland, Mass., with their two sons, Chase and Clayton.
