Seton Hall Magazine, Summer 2001 - TLTC Blogs - Seton Hall ...

Cundari and Duffy, both
former Seton Hall studentathletes
themselves,
“brought a great deal of talent
and experience to the
Pirate program,” Rob notes.
“We were able to continue
with the system my father
had implemented and to
coach the team as a staff,”
he says. “Each coach contributes
to the development
of our team.”
Rob admits that his
own coaching style closely
mirrors that of his father,
“though my dad is a bit
more ‘old school’ and
tougher on the team
because of his military
background and experience
as a Marine,” he says with
a smile. “He may take a
harder line with the individual
players, but our program
is demanding, as are
the programs of our conference
opponents. I tend to
stress the fundamentals of
the game to the team and
put more of an emphasis on
playing offense aggressively
to pressure the opponent’s
defense. However, I do
believe in the same essentials
that my dad does.
In fact, I often find myself
repeating a lot of his
phrases, like ‘Never lose
your hustle.’ I guess I am
truly a product of my
environment.”
Although Mike was
absent from his usual spot
in the Pirate dugout this
spring, he attended many of
the Pirates’ home games.
“My dad is doing very well,
but he definitely misses
coaching,” Rob says. “It was
very comforting for me to
know that I could look over
my shoulder and see him
sitting along the right field
line. And, when the team
was on the road, he was only
a phone call away. For the
Mike Sheppard ’58/M.A. ’67, who took some personal
time off this year to recover from surgery, enjoys watching
his son Rob fill in as head coach of the Pirates baseball
team. A dedicated coach and father, Mike was a
frequent sight and a loyal fan at the team’s home games
during his recovery.
most part, my dad and I discussed
the games, and he’d
give me advice and try to
put ideas in my head. But,
he is not critical of me. He
allows me to learn from my
mistakes and never reminds
me of them.”
Rob has been wearing a
Pirates baseball uniform for
much of his life. He grew
up in Basking Ridge and
graduated from Seton Hall
Preparatory School in West
Orange, where he was
coached by his oldest
brother, Michael Jr. ’81, for
four years. “Not only did I
play baseball for the University,
but I played all four
years for the Prep,” Rob
says with pride. “I have
been around Seton Hall for
as long as I can remember.
I went from being a fan of
Pirate baseball as a kid, to
the team’s batboy, to a varsity
player, to assistant
coach and now interim
head coach.”
It was Rob’s close ties to
Seton Hall throughout his
life that prompted him to
enroll as a student. “Seton
Hall is a very close-knit
community, which is something
that always appealed
to me, coming from a very
close-knit family myself,”
he recalls. “Even today, the
administration and the faculty
members work together
like a family. Jeff Fogelson
[director of athletics] has
brought together a supportive
staff in the athletic
department that reflects this
feeling. Also, I found it
much easier to play baseball
for and with members of my
family because an element
of trust exists, so I chose
Seton Hall.”
Rob and his father are
not the only members of
the family to earn degrees
from Seton Hall. “Basically,
my whole family attended
the University,” says Rob,
who majored in finance and
in 1997 earned an M.B.A. in
Management Information
Systems, followed by an
advanced certificate in
sports management. “Both
of my brothers [Michael Jr.
’81 and John ’88, who also
played for the baseball
In the BIG EAST
Tournament game against
Virginia Tech on May 19, senior outfielder
Joe Cuervo batted in the game-winning run
at Commerce Bank Park in Bridgewater.
team throughout their college
careers], my sisters
[Susan ’83 and Kathleen
’83] and my wife, Kelly
[’93], are alumni.” When
asked if the Sheppard
legacy will continue at
Seton Hall with his 1-yearold
son, Robert Michael Jr.,
Rob says with a laugh,
“Maybe my son will one
day play for the Pirates.”
On May 19, as the
Pirates celebrated their BIG
EAST Championship with
a pile-up on the pitcher’s
mound, Rob searched the
crowd for his father. As the
players left the field, they
greeted Mike with smiles
and embraces. “My dad
turned to me, gave me a
pat on the back and said
that he was proud of my
accomplishments,” Rob
recalls. “That simple statement
was one of the best
compliments I’ve ever been
given because of who it
came from, my father — a
successful coach who led his
baseball teams to over 900
wins, and the man whom I
love and respect most.”
SUMMER 2001 25