Anthony Rebyanski ’06, who was named the 13th head coach in the history of the IUP baseball program on August 22, 2016, enters his fifth season at the helm of his alma mater in 2021.
In four years on the Crimson Hawks bench, Rebyanski has compiled a 56-91 mark with a 37-47 record in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division. He’s won 21 divisional series in his first three seasons, including three four-game sweeps.
Rebyanski and the Crimson Hawks wrapped up the disappointingly short 2020 season on a three-game win streak, outscoring opponents 16 combined runs. IUP finished the year 3-8 before the COVID-19 pandemic stopped the win streak and ended the season early.
The highlight of Rebyanski's 2019 season came in the summer as junior left handed pitcher TJ Adams was selected by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 27th round (810th overall) in the Major League Baseball First Year Player Draft. He became the ninth player in program history to be selected in the draft.
Rebyanski went 15-30 during the 2019 season with a young club that featured 15 new faces. His lineup brought back just two returners
Rebyanski went 15-30 in 2019 - his last full season - with a young club that featured 15 new faces. He returned an offensive lineup that saw only two returning full time players that year but the Crimson Hawks still hit .275 wiwth 36 home runs and a .415 slugging percentage.
Rebyanski also saw senior right handed pitcher Jeff Allen wrap up his IUP career as the program's all-time leader with 38 starts on the mound. Allen ranks third in career strikeouts with 223 and fourth in innings pitched with 198.2. Allen was also named the third Owen J. Dougherty Player of the Year recipient in 2019.
In 2018, Rebyanski saw senior Ted DeSanti earn All-American and consensus All-Atlantic Region honors at second base. The senior was named the second recipient of the Owen J. Dougherty Player of the Year award, posting a .376 average with seven home runs and 40 runs batted in.
The Crimson Hawks posted some of the best power numbers in program history in 2018, with their 38 home runs and 75 doubles ranking third and eighth all-time, respectively, in single season program history.
The pitching staff also landed in the record book, as IUP hurlers struck out 310 batters in 305.2 innings pitched, averaging 9.13 strikeouts per nine innings. Those 310 strikeouts are the third highest total in program history.
Under the direction of Rebyanski in 2017, he saw a team reach the PSAC Championship Tournament for the first time in six seasons while finishing with a 22-25 overall record (18-10 PSAC West) and earning the second seed in the tournament. After the conclusion of the 2017 season, he was selected as the IUP Men’s Coach of the Year in the inaugural Crimson and Gray Awards.
Throughout the 2017 season, Rebyanski coached one PSAC All-West selection, two PSAC West Players of the Week recipients while having one CoSIDA Academic All-District selection.
Rebyanski also saw his program earn their first PSAC Top Team GPA of the Year award, with the 2016-17 team finishing with a cumulative grade point average of 3.331. The program has seen 57 student-athletes earn PSAC Scholar-Athlete honors over the last three years.
Rebyanski began his coaching career at his scholastic alma mater, Indiana High School, in 2005. After one season at the high school level, he started his collegiate coaching career at IUP as an assistant coach for the Crimson Hawks. He would spend seven seasons (2007-13) as top assistant under former IUP head coach Jeff Ditch. He helped lead the Crimson Hawks to three consecutive 30-win seasons and the program’s first appearance in the PSAC Championship since 1990. Serving as the teams pitching coach, Rebyanski helped mentor Stephen Cooke, the program’s career leader in appearances (69) and wins (28), and is also one of the leaders in innings pitched (223), saves (six), strikeouts (248) and earned run average (3.02).
In addition to his coaching duties as an assistant coach at IUP, Rebyanski served as the program’s academic support liaison. He helped the program develop more than 70 PSAC Scholar-Athletes, including Ryan Mostyn, who was a two-time selection to the PSAC Spring Top 10. Mostyn and Jake Rougeaux were also named the IUP Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2009 and 2010, respectively. In addition, Robbie Zinsmeister also became the program’s first Academic All-American in over a decade while also being an All-PSAC West first team selection.
In summer 2014, Rebyanski accepted an assistant position at California University of Pennsylvania (Cal U) and spent two seasons (2014-16) as a top assistant under Mike Conte before returning to IUP in August 2016. In those two years, Rebyanski helped the Vulcans to a pair of 25-win seasons and two berths in the PSAC Championship Tournament. While there, he coached two all-league pitchers in Jack Dennis and Justin Taylor.
Rebyanski would spend five years in the summer collegiate ranks as both an assistant and head coach. In summer 2010, he served as an assistant coach for the Thomasville Hi-Toms of the Coastal Plain League. In fall 2010, Rebyanski was hired as head coach for the Butler BlueSox of the Prospect League. He served as head coach from 2011-14, earning Prospect League Manager of the Year in 2014 after leading the BlueSox to a team-record 40 victories and their first ever postseason appearance.
While in Butler, he mentored Baseball America’s Top Prospect of the Prospect League in Elliot Caldwell, who played at South Carolina. He also worked with several IUP and Cal U standouts, including Kyle Petty (Cal U) and Ryan Uhl (IUP), who were both selected by the Seattle Mariners in the MLB Draft in 2013 and 2015, respectively, and Mick Fennell (Cal U), who was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2016 MLB Draft.
Throughout his twelve year coaching career, Rebyanski has coached and mentored 44 different student-athletes that have signed professional contracts and continued on to play professional baseball, both at the affiliated and independent professional levels.
Rebyanski, who grew up in Indiana, Pennsylvania, was selected as the PSAC West Rookie of the Year in 2002. He finished his collegiate playing career at IUP ranked among the top 10 in school history in strikeouts, innings pitched, complete games, starts and appearances. As a senior in 2005, Rebyanski served as a two-way player and finished the season with a .339 average, four home runs and 15 runs batted in. He finished his career with total strikeouts, which is seventh all-time.
Following his collegiate playing, Rebyanski pitched four seasons as a relief pitcher in the Frontier League, and independent professional league. He was a first round (7th overall) draft pick in the Frontier Leagues annual draft in May 2005 by the Gateway Grizzlies, who are based out of Sauget, Illinois. After an injury in June 2005, he returned to Gateway in 2006 before being traded to the Windy City Thurnderbolts in 2007, who are based in Crestwood, Illinois. While with the Thunderbolts, Rebyanski was named a Frontier League North All-Star in 2007 and helped Windy City capture back-to-back league championships in 2007 and 2008. During his professional career, he made 99 appearances on the mound while striking out 141 batters in 110 innings pitched, recording 11.53 strikeouts per nine innings.
Rebyanski earned his bachelor’s degree in communications media from IUP in 2006. He was honored as the inaugural IUP Male-Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2005.
Updated November 6, 2020
