SUNY Old Westbury Athletics

Tommy Pennino is set to enter his fifth year at the helm of the SUNY Old Westbury Softball program after a historic 2024 season.

In addition to his coaching responsibilities at OW, Pennino serves as the Assistant Athletic Director for External Operations.

In the 2024 season, Pennino led the Panthers to a second place finish in the Skyline Conference Softball Tournament where his team eliminated the No. 1, No. 3, No. 4 and No.5 seeded teams. Peninno coached a total of six student-athletes who earned all-conference honors and one CSC All-American Nominee. 

The 2024 season was the most successful season in school history for the softball program including the teams first post-season victories and championship appearance. In 2024, the team accumulated their most overall and conference wins in school history. 

While rebuilding the program, Pennino has led his squad to playoff appearances in each year.

Pennino has spent the past few years strengthening the program by expanding recruiting efforts nationwide. He has brought in several top recruits from around the country as well as DI, DII and JUCO transfers. 

Prior to Old Westbury, from 2014-2019, Pennino spent six seasons as the assistant softball coach at Farmingdale State College in Farmingdale, New York, where he helped guide the team to two conference championships and two NCAA Division III Regional appearances.
 
Prior to Farmingdale State, Pennino played professional baseball for five years (2006-11).  He started his career with the Evansville Otters of the Frontier League in Evansville, Indiana (2006-09), where he was part of the 2006 championship team.  Pennino moved on to play in the Atlantic League for the Newark Bears in Newark, New Jersey (2010), Bridgeport Bluefish in Bridgeport, Connecticut (2010) and the Long Island Ducks in Long Island, New York (2010-11).  During his tenure in the Atlantic League, Pennino was fortunate to play under Kevin Baez, Willie Upshaw and Hall of Famer Tim Raines. 
 
As a former NCAA Division I student-athlete at Stony Brook University, Pennino appeared in 102 games as a two-year (2005-06) member of the Seawolves' baseball team under the leadership of Head Coach Matt Senk.  As a senior, Pennino batted .310 with 30 RBI and three home runs.  He would graduate in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
 
Before becoming a Seawolf, Pennino also played two seasons at Indian River Community College in Fort Pierce, Florida under legendary head coach Mike Easom and was a teammate with Major League Baseball (MLB) World Series champion and Most Valuable Player Steve Pearce. 
 
Pennino played for former major league pitcher and Long Island native John Habyan at Saint John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip, New York, where the team won the Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA) Long Island Championship and was ranked 25th in the nation by Baseball America. 

Coaching runs in the Pennino family.  Pennino's father, Tom Pennino Sr. is a retired math teacher and lifelong high school coach at Comsewogue High School and Bellport High School, where he coached football, baseball and softball throughout his 35-year tenure. Pennino's sister, Elizabeth, currently serves as the head softball coach at Farmingdale State and President of the Long Island Surge travel softball program. 
 
In his spare time, Pennino enjoys fishing and the outdoors. He is also a huge dog lover and over the last few years, he has been a dock jumping handler for his late chocolate Labrador "Kaia".
 
Pennino currently resides in East Northport, New York with his six year old black Labrador "Koda".