Bob Bruno is in his sixth year as head coach and is looking to guide his squad to the NEC Tournament after finishing 2005 with a 13-29 overall record, including a 7-13 mark in conference play. To aid in his quest for his first conference title, Bruno has enlisted nine experienced veterans and nine fresh, talented newcomers.
Bruno took a team that finished with a 3-17 conference record in 2003 and guided them to a 10-10 league record in 2004, armed with new facilities and even greater program support. Bruno is prepared to continue the improvement his team showed after placing fifth in the conference, just missing the NEC tournament. He has the comforts of a stadium that his Knights can call home, after the groundbreaking that took place on June 25, 2003.
In 2002, Bruno's second-year squad picked up eight wins, including six in the competitive Northeast Conference. In 2001 Bruno led the newly reinstated softball program onto the diamond for the first time in 15 years.
In the spring of 2000, Bruno was announced as the first head coach of the softball program's new era. "Bob's experience, coupled with his passion for the game, makes him a natural choice for our program," said former Director of Athletics Steve Hurlbut. "As a life-long educator his skills and values will serve Fairleigh Dickinson well. His knowledge of New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania softball will allow us to attract top players from those softball hotbeds."
Bruno has over 25 years of teaching and coaching experience in New Jersey. He was named Cablevision's Teacher of the Year in 1996. He coached Pequannock High School to the conference championships and the county championships for two seasons and was at Palisades Park High School for the 12 years prior. While at Palisades Park he turned the program into one of the most respected in Bergen County, accumulating a 215-86 record. Bruno was named the 1996 Bergen County Scholastic League Coach of the Year.
A 1973 Ramapo State College graduate with a bachelor's degree in American studies, Bruno represented New Jersey at the Junior Olympics with the Clark Wildcats during the summer of 1994. At 2000's 86-team Pony Nationals held in Sterling, VA, he led the Clifton Cobras (American Softball Association) to an 11th-place finish.
Bruno and his wife, Phyllis, live in Somerset, NJ. The couple has two daughters, Jessica and Heather.
