Leslie begins his fourth season as an assistant coach with the Gannon baseball program in 2021.
Leslie helped Gannon to a program-best 33 wins (33-17, 21-7 PSAC), won the programs first outright PSAC West regular season championship and made an appearance in the NCAA Atlantic Regional in 2019. The Golden Knights earned their first NCAA Tournament win in school history after topping West Chester, 6-4, in the NCAA Atlantic Regional.
Leslie helped guide Gannon to an impressive 31-18 mark in 2018 with an 18-10 record in conference play. Both marks tied program records while the Golden Knights boasted a sterling 16-4 home record, which included eight consecutive victories to cap the regular season.
The Gannon Athletics Hall of Famer and former McDowell (Pa.) High School head coach is no stranger to the Gannon baseball program. The former catcher came back to his alma mater where starred from 2000-04 and was later inducted into the Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016. One of the best catchers and pure hitters in the history of the program, he was a starter and team captain all four years.
The Erie, Pa., native is still Gannon’s all-time leader in RBIs (115), hits (213) and total bases (301). Leslie currently ranks second in runs (110), second in home runs (16), second in slugging percentage (.512), second in games played (184), third in batting average (.362), fifth in doubles (36) and sixth in walks (66).
“I would like to first thank head coach Greg Coleman and Gannon Director of Athletics Lisa Goddard-McGuirk for the opportunity to help guide our student-athletes and grow the University’s mission,” said Leslie upon his hiring. “It is great to be back at my alma mater and have the chance to give back to the University and athletics program that has given me so much. I can’t wait to get started.”
Leslie owns three of the top-six single-season on-base percentages in school history, including the top mark of .483 set in 2002. He was an All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) selection as a senior.
“Nick is a perfect fit for our coaching staff and what we are trying to accomplish at Gannon University,” said Coleman upon Leslie's hiring. “His passion and energy will have a tremendous impact on our student-athletes and staff. His baseball experience as a student-athlete and coach speaks for itself. We’re excited to bring Nick, his wife Shawn and their sons Blake and Gavin into our Gannon baseball family.”
Leslie comes to Gannon after serving as the McDowell head coach for the last three seasons (2015-17), producing a 44-19 record in the process. The Trojans earned a Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) Quad-A state playoff berth in 2016 after winning the subregional district championship.
Prior to McDowell, Leslie spent time as an assistant coach at DuBois (Pa.) High School. He served as the program’s hitting and catching instructor. The Beavers made back-to-back PIAA Quad-A state playoff appearances with Leslie in the dugout, advancing to the state quarterfinals in 2014.
Leslie received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Gannon in 2004 with a minor in mathematics. He and his wife, Shawn, have two sons, Blake (9) and Gavin (6).
