Russo joins Villanova after three seasons at Monmouth University (2023–2025), where he helped guide the Hawks’ transition into the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA)—one of the top 10 baseball conferences in the nation. During his tenure, Monmouth showed consistent year-over-year improvement, highlighted by a jump from six to eleven conference wins in his second season and a 24-win campaign in 2025, the program’s highest total in three years. Under his direction, Monmouth pitchers earned three All-CAA selections, multiple CAA Pitcher of the Week honors, and produced three shutouts in 2025 while posting the third-lowest team ERA in the conference (5.02). Russo’s staff also recorded Power Four victories over programs such as Penn State, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers, and secured series wins against Delaware, Elon, and Towson.
Prior to Monmouth, Russo spent eight seasons at Princeton University (2015–2022), where he played a central role in the Tigers’ 2016 Ivy League Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. During his time in the Ivy League, Russo developed 13 All-Ivy honorees, including six First-Team selections and the 2016 Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, Chad Powers. His reputation as a developer of professional talent is underscored by eight players signing professional contracts, including MLB draft selections by the San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Angels, Houston Astros, and Cleveland Guardians organizations.
As a player, Russo was a standout pitcher at Kean University, helping lead the Cougars to back-to-back Division III College World Series appearances (2011 & 2012). In 2011, he was named New Jersey Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Year, Division II/III Pitcher of the Year by the NJ Collegiate Baseball Association, and earned ABCA All-America honors. Before transferring to Kean, Russo began his collegiate career at North Carolina State University, where he was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 49th Round of the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft.
Russo holds a Master’s degree in Athletic Administration from Ohio University (2017) and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Kean University (2012).
