Bob Whalen Takes the Helm as 2025 ABCA President

January 6, 2025

The ABCA Convention is always a landmark event, and this year’s edition proved no exception as it ushered in a new chapter of leadership for the association. On Friday, January 3rd, during the prestigious ABCA Hall of Fame Banquet presented by C&H Baseball, Bob Whalen—celebrating 45 years as a Lifetime ABCA member and serving as the head coach at Dartmouth College—officially took the helm as ABCA President.  

Whalen's journey to this role reflects years of dedicated service. Initially elected as the ABCA Fourth Vice President in 2021, he has since been a cornerstone of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee, steadily advancing through each Vice Presidential seat. A standout moment of his tenure came as Second Vice President in 2023, when he organized the lineup of clinic speakers for the 2024 ABCA Convention in Dallas. Now, as President, he’s set to lead the association through an exciting 2025.

As Whalen steps into his new role, a domino effect sees each Vice President ascend one position, ensuring a seamless leadership transition. Scott Laverty, elected by the ABCA membership as Fourth Vice President in Fall 2024, has officially joined the officer ranks.  

Looking ahead, Jim Cahill and Kerrick Jackson, the new Second and Third Vice Presidents, respectively, are already gearing up to plan an exceptional clinic speaker lineup for the 2026 ABCA Convention, taking place January 8-11 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center in Columbus, Ohio.

Here’s a closer look at the 2025 American Baseball Coaches Association Officers…

ABCA Board of Directors

The ABCA Board of Directors is the group in charge of leading the largest amateur baseball coaching association in the World. The mission of the Board of Directors, as outlined in the ABCA Bylaws, is to establish the policy and principles of conducting the affairs of the Association, act on Constitution and Bylaw revisions, adopt proposed budgets and oversee financial affairs of the Association and employ the ABCA staff to efficiently conduct the business of the organization. The Board of Directors meets four times annually, twice during the ABCA Convention and twice in June.

The ABCA Board of Directors consists of the following:

• All Past ABCA Presidents


• Current ABCA President
  • Bob Whalen, Dartmouth College
  
  
• Current ABCA Vice Presidents
  • First Vice President: John McCormack, Florida Atlantic University
  • Second Vice President: Jim Cahill, North Forsyth High School (GA)
  • Third Vice President: Kerrick Jackson, University of Missouri
  • Fourth Vice President: Scott Laverty, Chapman University (CA)
  
  
• Three Divisional Chairs from the ABCA Executive Committee
• Rob Hahne, Northern Virginia Travel Baseball League (Youth Baseball Chair)
• Chris Pollard, Duke University (NCAA Div. I Chair)
• Jeff Willis, LSU Eunice (Junior College Chair)

ABCA Executive Committee

The ABCA Executive Committee is charged with reviewing the business and affairs of the Association and its committees in accordance with the policies of the Association and Board of Directors. In addition to the ABCA President, most recent Past President and all four Vice Presidents, each division within the ABCA is represented by a Chair on the Executive Committee. The Chairs hold their position for a three-year term and are eligible to be re-elected for a second three-year term. The Chairs run the annual divisional coaches meetings on the opening night of the ABCA Convention and recommend various business items and policies for action in their respective divisions. The Chair of the ABCA Diversity Committee also serves on the committee and focuses specifically on bringing forth recommendations for expanding minority opportunities within all levels of the sport. The group meets twice annually at the Convention and the committee elects three representatives from the Divisional Chairs to serve on the ABCA Board of Directors.

In 2025, Rob Hahne (Youth Chair), Chris Pollard (NCAA Div. I Chair), and Jeff Willis (Junior College Chair) will serve on the Board of Directors. Pollard steps into this role, succeeding Scott Laverty, who continues to contribute to the Board in his new position as Fourth Vice President. Additionally, Lance Marshall (Franklin College) and Brian Michalak (University of St. Francis) and were elected by the NCAA Div. III and NAIA membership, respectively, to represent their divisions on the Executive Committee.

ABCA Standing Committee

The ABCA Standing Committee assists in setting the association's budget and planning for the upcoming year, ensures Board meetings take place as outlined in the ABCA Constitution and represent the voting Board of Directors between regularly scheduled meetings. The group also evaluates the ABCA Staff annually. The committee is comprised of the Chairman of the Board, current ABCA President as well as First and Second Vice Presidents and three past ABCA Presidents selected by their peers on the Board of Directors. 

The committee meets twice annually, once at the ABCA Convention and once in June. The Chairman of the Board conducts the Standing Committee Meetings. The President and Vice President seats on the committee rotate annually. The terms of the Past Presidents on the Standing Committee are for three years, unless the elected member no longer serves as a member of the voting Board of Directors, and Past Presidents are eligible to be re-elected for one additional three-year term at the conclusion of the first term.