Tony Baldesare was hired as the Special Teams Coordinator/TE Coach at Lenoir-Rhyne in January 2020 after serving on the staff of Mike Jacobs at Notre Dame College.
During the 2021 season, PK Chase Allbaugh broke an NCAA Division II record with 166 consecutive made extra points. Allbaugh would be named a First Team All-Conference performer and goes down as the most accurate kicker in Lenoir-Rhyne history, converting a program-best 79.1 percent of his career FG attempts and missing just seven extra points (231/238) in his career. In the return game, Ryan Carter and Deondre Lester would each average over 23 yards per kickoff return and Carter would go on to be named Second Team All-Conference as a return specialist. P Michael Owen set the career record for most punt yards, breaking the mark with his final punt in an NCAA Playoff game at Bowie St.
The special teams unit was among the best in the nation under Baldesare in 2020-21. PK Chase Allbaugh broke the LR record for most points by a kicker and the Bears’ first points of the season came on a blocked punt returned for a touchdown against Newberry. LR blocked multiple punts and field goals throughout the abbreviated season and created havoc for opponents all spring.
Baldesare joined the Notre Dame coaching staff in the summer of 2015. In 2016, he was promoted to Tight Ends Coach and Director of Football Operations. Prior to the 2018 season, Baldesare became the team’s Special Teams Coordinator.
In his four three seasons coaching the tight ends, NDC has seen three different players reach the marks of at least 25 receptions, 450 yards and five touchdowns. In 2019, Zaire Mitchell finished second on the Falcons with 42 grabs for 573 yards and six touchdowns on his way to being named First Team All-Region.
Tight end B.J. Baldwin was named First Team All-Mountain East and First Team All-Region in 2016 while Mitchell earned All-MEC honors in 2018.
In his second season in charge of Special Teams, Marvelle Ross was named Don Hansen Football Gazette Regional Special Teams Player of the Year after finishing with 637 kickoff return yards and three touchdowns. Ross added 167 punt return yards for 804 total return yards in 2019.
In his first year as Special Teams Coordinator, Baldesare led a unit that ranked highly in the NCAA DII in several categories. The Falcons ranked second in punt return touchdowns (4), fifth in blocked punts (4) and sixth in punt return yards (460). In 2018, Ross was named All-MEC after scoring on three punt returns. Ross’s three punt return touchdowns tied for the most in the country.
Baldesare came to Notre Dame after two years with Hiram College, where he served a number of different roles.He was the Director of Football Operations with the Terriers from Jan. 2013, until he left in May of 2015. In addition to his duties as the Director of Football Operations, he was also the Linebackers Coach. Prior to coaching at Hiram, Coach Baldesare was an assistant with Ohio University back in 2006, when they won the MAC Eastern Division.
