Joe Christiano enters his fifth season as an assistant coach at Hilbert during the 2020-21 academic year.
In the 2020 shortened season, Christiano helped lead the Hawks to their first winning season in program history after finishing 6-5 during their spring break trip in Myrtle Beach. The Hawks saw great success offensively, finishing in the top 60 nationally in triples (9th), triples per game (15th), slugging percentage (26th), batting average (40th), on base percentage (43rd), stolen bases per game (48th) and stolen bases (56th) while averaging 8.0 runs per contest. In addition to their success on the field, the baseball program experienced great success in the classroom as well, posting a 3.16 cumulative team GPA for the 2019-20 academic calendar year. Their efforts in the classroom earned them the 2019-20 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Team Academic Excellence Award.
During the 2019 season, Christiano helped guide the Hawks to a 3-1 record in Buffalo Cup play against crosstown rivals Medaille and D'Youville, while also establishing the first back-to-back season sweeps of Medaille in program history. Over the last two seasons, the Hawks are now 7-1 in Buffalo Cup action, marking their best 8-game stretch against their two crosstown rivals.
The 2019 Hawks set new program records in stolen bases (64), fewest stolen bases against (40) and stolen base percentage against (.741). Hilbert led the AMCC league in stolen bases during the regular season for the second time in three years while finishing #1 in runners caught stealing percentage (.417) during conference action.
In 2018, Christiano was part of a Hawks coaching staff that helped lead the program to arguably its' most successful season in school history. The Hawks set a new program record with 8 wins in AMCC play, while tying the overall wins record with 11. The Hawks also set new marks in triples (17), RBI (166) and walks (125), while tying the team home run record (10). The Hawks also notched a pair of marquee conference wins in defeating nationally ranked La Roche for the program's first win over a nationally ranked team, and ended a 36-game losing streak dating back to 1998 by defeating Penn State Behrend.
In 2017, Christiano was part of a Hawks coaching staff that helped develop one of the most youthful rosters in recent years. Amidst the rebuild, Christiano was able to help guide the Hawks to new school records in most doubles (60) and stolen bases (62) in a season.
After the conclusion of the Hawks season, Christiano assumed the role of assistant coach in the Interstate Collegiate Baseball League (ICBL) for the Rochester Lake Monsters, and was also a head coach in the newly formed Upstate Baseball League (UBL) in Rochester, N.Y. immediately following the ICBL season. Christiano's squad took the inaugural UBL title.
Prior to joining Hilbert, Christiano played two seasons at the junior college level. He played for Scottsdale Community College and Erie Community College (ECC). During his season at ECC, the 2011 Kats made it all the way to the NJCAA DIII World Series and finished the season ranked #6 in the country.
Outside of Hilbert, Christiano is a coach for the Nickel City 16U team and is a former instructor and coach for Team New Era in his hometown of Depew, NY. He has also served as a guest camp instructor at WNY Strike Zone (2017).
