With his 19th season in the Ohio dugout complete, Bobcat Head Baseball Coach Joe Carbone continues to build on his status as the institution's winningest coach.

Carbone has compiled a 556-466-2 overall record in 19 seasons as head coach of his alma mater, more than any coach in any sport at Ohio, and he has joined a list of only three other coaches in Mid-American Conference history to reach the 500-win plateau. Carbone's 556 total wins at the end of the 2007 campaign placed him second all-time in MAC history behind only Fred Decker (791). His 296 conference wins is second all-time behind only Decker's 401 victories.

The 2004, 2005 and 2007 seasons each featured milestone victories for the Bobcat skipper. Carbone passed Stan Sanders for second place on the MAC all-time wins list with his 535th career victory, a defeat of Otterbein on March 3, 2007. Carbone gained his 500th career coaching victory on April 15, 2005 with a 12-3 decision over Marshall and a 9-4 victory over Cleveland State on March 29, 2004 saw him overtake Bob Wren to become the all-time leader in wins at the school. In the process of amassing this mark, Carbone has returned the Bobcats to perennial championship contenders.

During his tenure, the Bobcats have won two Mid-American Conference titles, the most recent coming in 1997. That 1997 season also produced the most wins ever by an Ohio baseball team in one season with 43.

During the Carbone era, Bobcat teams have almost completely rewritten Ohio's record books. Working directly with the hitters and defense, he has been instrumental in the breaking of 49 individual regular-season and career records as well as 49 single-season team marks. In 2001, 12 individual and 19 team records were set when the Bobcats led the NCAA in home runs as a team (122). In 2002, outfielder Mike Arbinger was the first Ohio player to bat over .400 since 1985 and he recorded the highest offensive efficiency average in the 16-year history of the Bob Wren Efficiency Award.

In addition, Carbone has been named MAC Coach of the Year twice (1991, 1997), also earning Mideast Region Coach of the Year in 1997.

Over the course of his coaching career, 37 players have signed professional baseball contracts. Seven of Carbone's players have achieved All-American status - Josh Sorge in 1996, Tom Miller in 1997, Ryan Kyes in 2001, Arbinger in 2002, Adam Fox in 2003, Anthony Gressick in 2004 and 2006, and Ben Crabtree in 2005. Carbone has coached 36 first-team All-MAC and 28 All-Mideast Region performers during his 19 years at Ohio.

Carbone's players are talented in the classroom as well. Fourteen of his athletes have earned Academic All-MAC honors while six others have garnered Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-American accolades (Mark Bradley, Ben Crabtree, Rick Czajkowski, Jason Graham, Kyes, and Miller). During his tenure the program boasts a graduation rate that ranks Ohio in the 99th percentile of all Division I baseball.

Carbone's success as a coach helped to earn him perhaps his most prestigious honor in the spring of 1999. USA Baseball named him as an assistant coach for its 1999 Professional Team that competed in the Pan-Am Games in Winnipeg, Canada. He joined current Kansas City Royals manager and former Detroit Tigers and Colorado Rockies manager Buddy Bell's staff that also included Dick Cooke (Davidson College), Marcel Lachemann (pitching coach for the Rockies as well as former manager of the Anaheim Angels), Jackie Moore (former Oakland Athletic) and Reggie Smith (All-Star Los Angeles Dodger outfielder).

The team's silver-medal-winning performance earned it a spot in the 2000 Summer Olympics, where it went on to win the gold medal.

Among his many career accomplishments, Carbone was named chairman of the NCAA Mid-East Region All-American Committee in August 2004. As the representative for the region, he is part of selecting the nation's All-American team.

Ohio was not Carbone's first coaching stop. He spent 17 years as an assistant coach at Marshall, Toledo and Ohio State. During his stint with the Buckeyes from 1977-88, Carbone was very active in collegiate summer leagues. He was a coach and general manager of the Columbus All-Americans, also helping to develop the Great Lakes Collegiate League in Michigan and Ohio. In 1982, he guided Winchester to the Shenandoah Valley Collegiate League Championship. For Carbone's accomplishments and continued commitment to development of the GLCL, the league named the Manager-of-the-Year award after him in his honor.

From 1992-97, Carbone served as a taskforce member for USA Baseball's fall trials in Homestead, Fla., and Tucson, Ariz. The trials are held for players under consideration for the United States Olympic Baseball Team.

He was also a member of the task force that aided in the selection of the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Teams. His coaching experience with the 1999 Professional Team served as the continuation of an enduring relationship with USA Baseball.

In 1992, he took part in a United States/Italy coaches' exchange sponsored by the United States Baseball Federation's Ambassadors Committee. Carbone and nine other coaches from American colleges and universities conducted baseball clinics throughout Italy.

Carbone has been a frequent speaker at coaches' clinics across the United States and Canada. He has produced baseball videos and publications, and has also addressed the American College Baseball Coaches Convention four times. Carbone hosts annual summer camps at Ohio where he instructs youngsters on his philosophy of baseball fundamentals.

Carbone's success is not limited to his coaching career. He was a talented player for the Bobcats as well. In three seasons as a starter (1968-70), he proved himself versatile, seeing time at second base, shortstop, third base and in the outfield.

In those three seasons, Ohio compiled an overall record of 74-24, going 36-4 in MAC play with three conference titles. Carbone was captain for the 1970 team that participated in the College World Series.

In 1969, as a center fielder, Carbone led the team with a .367 average and was a second-team All-MAC selection. Following a move to second base in 1970, Carbone teamed with future Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt to form the greatest double-play tandem in Bobcat history.

His playing days did not end after the completion of his Bobcat career. After signing with Kansas City following the 1970 season, Carbone played for Kingsport and Waterloo in the Royals' organization. He then traveled to Italy, acting as a player/coach for Edipen.

Carbone is a member of the Tioga County Athletic Hall of Fame. He played soccer, basketball and baseball for Elkland High School of Elkland, Pa., which is a member of the Tioga County League.

As one of six charter members, Carbone was inducted into the Great Lakes League Hall of Fame in a special ceremony during the GLL All-Star Game on July 18, 2004. The Great Lakes League Coach of the Year Award is also named in his honor.

In 2007, Carbone was named to the George Whitfield Baseball Clinic Hall of Fame for his role as a speaker at the annual event.

He earned a bachelor's degree in education from Ohio and a master's degree in physical education from Marshall.

Carbone is married to the former Pat Facer of Toledo. They have two daughters, 2005 Ohio graduate Cristin (24) and 2006 Ohio graduate Sarah (22).