BETHLEHEM, Pa. - In the seventh installment of the Spartan Legend Series, we feature former Northampton Baseball Coach John Sweeney.

Named Head Baseball Coach in 1995, John Sweeney presided over the Northampton baseball program for 12 years.  The unique aspect of John's tenure was that during those 12 years, he actually coached 20 full seasons.  The Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference (EPCC) conducted separate Fall and Spring baseball seasons, which allowed the member institutions to compete for two championships each year.

When Coach Sweeney decided to hang up his spikes in December of 2007, he had secured 17 EPCC titles and three Pennsylvania Collegiate Athletic Association (PCAA) state championships.  Retiring as Northampton's all-time winningest coach, Sweeney finished his career with an overall record of 433 wins and 183 losses.

A 2008 inductee into the Northampton Athletics Hall of Fame, John was married to his wife Kathy for 42 years prior to his passing on February 21, 2011.  

"Coach Sweeney embodied the Northampton Way," remarked Director of Athletics Troy Tucker, "while his success on the field is unmatched, his dedication to his student-athletes and the baseball program are what people remember the most."