DeFelice Statue Unveiled

Posted: Jul 09, 2018

DeFelice Statue Unveiled

A statue of longtime Bentley University baseball coach and Director of Athletics Bob DeFelice, in recognition of his 50 years of service to the University, was unveiled last month with many of his former players in attendance for the presentation. Prior to the ceremonies, an alumni game was played on DeFelice Field.

In an email sent to the Bentley community last month, former Bentley President Gloria Larson wrote "On reunion weekend, along with a hundred former baseball players, I had the privilege of unveiling a new statue on campus. The new Bob DeFelice statue sits outside the Bentley Arena, overlooking the baseball diamond, just as Coach has for all these years. This statue will ensure that Coach's legacy endures long beyond his time at Bentley—and I'm fairly certain that his time at Bentley will endure long beyond many of us!

"When asked to describe their relationship with Coach, the most common word used by his former players is 'loyalty', continued Larson. "Bob DeFelice is dedicated to his players, to Bentley's entire athletic program, and to the university he loves. And while he has demanded excellence on the playing field, as every baseball player in Bentley's history is well aware, Coach demands an equally steadfast commitment to the classroom. Not one single team he has coached at Bentley has had a grade point average below 3.0. Encouraging our students to perform their best on and off the field has surely been Bob's most enduring legacy at Bentley.

"As part of this celebration, a number of alumni stepped forward and made gifts totaling more than $500,000 to establish an endowed fund at the university. This will provide permanent funding for coaching positions in the baseball program, ensuring that Coach's legacy of leadership and baseball knowledge will endure for generations to come," concluded Larson.