Michael Briglia
Young Michael Briglia had an innate talent for baseball and a love of education that eventually resulted in his 32-year career as professor, athletic director and coach at Glassboro. But he didn’t exactly take a straight route from Yorkville, Ohio, to the faculty here.

When Briglia graduated from high school, he left with a .520 batting average, aspirations of being a teacher just like his baseball coach and a promised scholarship at the University of Alabama. But the scholarship fell through and he ended up at Ohio University.

In the next several years, he played ball at OU, completed bachelor’s and master’s degrees as an ROTC scholar, served in the Korean War as a second lieutenant in the quartermaster corps, joined the OU coaching staff, sold life insurance successfully enough to be offered a lucrative position and impressed pro scouts at Connie Mack Stadium enough to earn an invitation to play in the minors.

Yet Briglia walked away from both the sales job and pro ball. He explains about the sales job that the company didn’t keep a promise. “I became disillusioned,” he said. And about baseball: “I had some natural skills and a good arm. Hitting was easy. If I could do it again, I’d go into the minors. But when I came back from Korea I hadn’t touched a baseball in 19 months. I decided to pursue my doctorate at Temple.”

From there, it wasn’t far to Glassboro in 1956. Briglia fondly remembers Dr. Robert Bole, who hired him. Known for his love of sports, Bole was an eager and devoted fan, even driving with Mrs. Bole to Briglia’s championships and writing summaries of tournament games.

Briglia served as professor in health and physical education, juggled golf and tennis team practices and helped Coach Dick Wackar resurrect the football team in 1963. He was head baseball coach from 1964–1988 and spent more than 25 years as the men’s athletic director, assisting in the development of 23 men’s and women’s sports. “I had the privilege of working with great players and students,” said Briglia. “They served as excellent representatives of the college, and I’m most thankful for that.”

Briglia’s teams won two national championships and he chalked up 20 consecutive winning seasons. Under his leadership, 26 players signed professional contracts. “I marvel at the type of players I had, not only as players but as gentlemen and students,” says Briglia. “They made it easy for me to coach.”

Retired from Rowan, Briglia started a management company before moving on to a mortgage company. “I’ll never stop working,” he says. With the extra income, he and his wife, Constance, have traveled to 11 European countries, Australia and Hawaii and cruised the Mediterranean.

But while work beckons and time with Constance is precious, baseball runs strong in the blood. That explains why Briglia is both devoted fan and family coach for his grandsons who play the game.

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Alumni can honor retired faculty by donating to a scholarship fund and other investment. Call Anne Hagan at 856-256-5402 or visit the Rowan University Foundation.