There is no doubting the strength of Dexter Southfield coach Dan Donato as both a coach and a mentor. A former professional baseball player, Donato got his start in coaching at Salisbury School in the mid-80s. He coached baseball and hockey at Salisbury for 15 years.
On the diamond, he guided Salisbury to four Connatonic League titles, while developing future professional players such as Anthony Hewitt (Philadelphia Phillies organization), Mark Rosen (Arizona Diamondbacks organization), Tucker Nathan (Baltimore Orioles organization) and Pat Bresnahan (Pittsburgh Pirates organization).
Having grown up in Dedham (Mass.), Donato decided to leave Salisbury and return to his Massachusetts roots, accepting the head baseball and hockey coaching positions at Dexter Southfield in 1999. Since his arrival on the Brookline (Mass.) campus, Donato has built Dexter Southfield into a major force in both sports.
As hockey coach, he has guided the team to four Elite Eight appearances in the last five years. From a baseball standpoint, Dexter Southfield has won three New England crowns and has put together three undefeated seasons. Three of his former players have or are currently playing in the professional ranks. They include John Mazza (New York Yankees organization), Johnny Magliozzi (New York Mets organization) and Josh Baez, who was taken by the St. Louis Cardinals in the second round of this year's MLB Draft.
