Swope Hires Sal Colangelo As Terps Baseball General Manager
8/7/2026 1:45:00 PM | Baseball
COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Head Coach Matt Swope has announced the hiring of Sal Colangelo to be the program's General Manager ahead of the 2026-27 academic year.
"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Sal to Maryland Baseball" said Coach Swope. "He brings an incredible wealth of baseball knowledge and experience, but what makes this so special is how well he understands the DMV and the pride he has for baseball in this area. Sal and I go way back, he coached me during the inaugural season of the Bethesda Big Train, and I've watched him build that program into one of the premier summer collegiate organizations in the country. He knows what a championship organization looks like because he has built one. Sal is a proven winner, a relationship builder, and someone who cares deeply about developing people. He is a perfect fit for what we are building here at Maryland, and I'm fired up to have him with us."
With over 27 years of experience with the Bethesda Big Train and over 660 wins as a summer college baseball manager, Colangelo brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to College Park. In 2005, he led the Big Train to a Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate League Regular Season Championship in his first year as manager. From 2009-2011, Colangelo led the Big Train to a threepeat of Cal Ripken Collegiate League Championships. In addition, the Big Train was ranked the No. 1 summer collegiate team in the country (out of more than 350 teams) by Perfect Game USA.
He was named Maryland State Amateur Coach of the Year by the Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches (MSABC) for leading the Big Train to the 2011 National Championship. Colangelo won five consecutive CRCBL titles from 2016-2021, and in 2018 led Big Train to a franchise-record 34 regular season wins and a league-record .850 winning percentage. His teams also won the 2022, 2023 and 2024 CRCBL Championships. In total, he has led Big Train to 12 regular season league titles and 11 Cal Ripken League championships.
Colangelo is a member of the Cal Ripken League Hall of Fame and was inducted in 2019 as part of the hall's inaugural class.
Colangelo is a graduate of Potomac High School in Woodbridge, Virginia and was the activities director at C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge. Previously, he served as the assistant activities' director, assistant varsity baseball coach, and head golf coach at Potomac High School in Dumfries, Virginia. In addition, he is a baseball instructor at Stars Baseball Regional Director in Prince William County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland.
Before taking over as manager of the Big Train, Colangelo served as an assistant coach for Big Train from 1999-2004. From 1995-97, Colangelo served as an assistant baseball coach at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.
From 1991-1995, Colangelo played baseball and football for Virginia Tech. Colangelo earned his undergraduate degree from Va tech and a Master's Degree from Johns Hopkins (Administration/Supervision) and the United States Sports Academy (Athletic Administration).
He lives in Lorton, Virginia, with his wife Alison and their daughters, Emma and Abigail.
"We couldn't be more excited to welcome Sal to Maryland Baseball" said Coach Swope. "He brings an incredible wealth of baseball knowledge and experience, but what makes this so special is how well he understands the DMV and the pride he has for baseball in this area. Sal and I go way back, he coached me during the inaugural season of the Bethesda Big Train, and I've watched him build that program into one of the premier summer collegiate organizations in the country. He knows what a championship organization looks like because he has built one. Sal is a proven winner, a relationship builder, and someone who cares deeply about developing people. He is a perfect fit for what we are building here at Maryland, and I'm fired up to have him with us."
With over 27 years of experience with the Bethesda Big Train and over 660 wins as a summer college baseball manager, Colangelo brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to College Park. In 2005, he led the Big Train to a Cal Ripken, Sr. Collegiate League Regular Season Championship in his first year as manager. From 2009-2011, Colangelo led the Big Train to a threepeat of Cal Ripken Collegiate League Championships. In addition, the Big Train was ranked the No. 1 summer collegiate team in the country (out of more than 350 teams) by Perfect Game USA.
He was named Maryland State Amateur Coach of the Year by the Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches (MSABC) for leading the Big Train to the 2011 National Championship. Colangelo won five consecutive CRCBL titles from 2016-2021, and in 2018 led Big Train to a franchise-record 34 regular season wins and a league-record .850 winning percentage. His teams also won the 2022, 2023 and 2024 CRCBL Championships. In total, he has led Big Train to 12 regular season league titles and 11 Cal Ripken League championships.
Colangelo is a member of the Cal Ripken League Hall of Fame and was inducted in 2019 as part of the hall's inaugural class.
Colangelo is a graduate of Potomac High School in Woodbridge, Virginia and was the activities director at C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge. Previously, he served as the assistant activities' director, assistant varsity baseball coach, and head golf coach at Potomac High School in Dumfries, Virginia. In addition, he is a baseball instructor at Stars Baseball Regional Director in Prince William County, Virginia and Montgomery County, Maryland.
Before taking over as manager of the Big Train, Colangelo served as an assistant coach for Big Train from 1999-2004. From 1995-97, Colangelo served as an assistant baseball coach at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Virginia.
From 1991-1995, Colangelo played baseball and football for Virginia Tech. Colangelo earned his undergraduate degree from Va tech and a Master's Degree from Johns Hopkins (Administration/Supervision) and the United States Sports Academy (Athletic Administration).
He lives in Lorton, Virginia, with his wife Alison and their daughters, Emma and Abigail.
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