In years past, you could find baseball Head Coach Billy Uberti at the diamond, preparing for each of the Lasers’ games. For the last two years, however, you can also find him on the second floor of Hamel House, serving as the athletic department’s Admissions Coordinator.
Uberti has been at the helm of the baseball program since 2019, after he left an assistant coaching role with East Georgia State. During his tenure, the Lasers have gone 27-44 and accrued a winning conference record in the past two seasons. Uberti graduated in 2014 after spending four seasons with the Lasers.
In his new role, Uberti is a “liaison” between the Athletic Department and Admissions, two facets of the university that work closely together to recruit each class of Lasers.
“I service all the student-athletes besides the baseball players,” Uberti said. “Anyone that a coach considers a recruit, I’m working with their families and reading their applications through the application process.”
Athletic Director Kristy Walter is a longtime supporter of having more full-time coaches, albeit with additional responsibilities past their sport. Similarly to Uberti, women’s basketball Head Coach Kelley Sundberg is also the Student-Athlete Academic Coordinator.
“Coaches are recruiting, and admissions are recruiting, so we need to work hand in hand. I think it’s helpful to kind of just bridge that communication because he’s in both worlds,” Walter said. “We meet as a staff once a week so Billy can share whatever’s going on in admissions, and we can also share with them if we’re having struggles.”
According to Walter, a big benefit of Uberti’s role is the athletic department’s understanding of the Slate admissions and enrollment management software. Understanding the system gives coaches an advantage when communicating with recruits.
“We can actually log on and see ‘Oh, Sally didn’t turn in her SATs yet’ or ‘Sally’s just got our package,’” Walter said. “It gives them real-time knowledge of where somebody is in the process.”
Coaches have shared Walter’s appreciative sentiment. “He’s a great communicator,” women’s soccer head coach Vito La Francesca said. “It’s just nice to have someone in admissions that can advocate for our players and our coaches.”
The new role allows Uberti to be a full-time employee and be on campus more than he could working in insurance. In addition to insurance, Uberti also coached at a batting cage while he was part-time at the university.
“Being a full-time coach during the season, it’s such a difference,” Uberti said. “I think that not many people understand how much goes into it.”
Uberti described autumn as his most hectic season. In addition to the admissions process and visits being in full swing, Uberti is running offseason practices and team weightlifting as early as 6 a.m. The winter demands Uberti go over applications for the next school year, which allows him to spend more time preparing for his upcoming season and team trip to Florida. With admissions demands being sparse in the spring, Uberti can then focus more on his own slate of games.
Uberti’s work is acknowledged by his team. “It really sets a precedent for what it takes to win and what it takes to be successful. It’s not an easy job,” junior captain and Blue Key Society member Bryan Baumann said. “It’s a great leadership role that he’s taken on, and it really makes everyone want to be a better version of themselves.”
In addition to leading the baseball team, Uberti hopes to keep working at Hamel House. “This is my alma mater. This is my hometown. I have a lot of passion for the school and the program,” Uberti said.