A distinguished graduate of Ithaca College, Michael Notebaert is embarking on his 20th season with the program, having spent 18 of those years as Head Coach.
In March 2013, in addition to his role as Head Baseball Coach, Notebaert was appointed Assistant Athletic Director for Facilities and Events. In this capacity, he is responsible for scheduling facility usage, ensuring the facilities remain well-maintained and up to date, and providing leadership in project and event management.
Over the course of his 17 years as Head Coach of the Merchant Marine Mariners, Notebaert has established himself as the program's all-time winningest coach. His leadership has propelled the team to 13 appearances in the Landmark and Skyline Conference Tournaments, with five of those appearances resulting in trips to the Conference Finals (2009, 2018, 2021, 2022, and 2025). In 2021, Notebaert guided the Mariners to their first-ever Conference Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Regionals, where the team advanced to the semifinals and came just two wins shy of reaching the Division III College World Series.
Under his guidance, the Mariners have also secured three Regular Season Conference Championships. In 2013, the team finished tied atop the Landmark Conference standings with Catholic University, while in 2021 and 2025, they were crowned the outright Skyline Champions. Notebaert has overseen ten seasons in which the Mariners recorded 20 or more wins, including a program-record 28 wins in 2018, 2019, and 2025.
Notably, Notebaert has produced the Academy's only two Conference Players of the Year (2013 & 2023) and three Conference Pitchers of the Year (2018, 2019, and 2021). Additionally, he has mentored two Academic Players of the Year for the conference (2018 and 2019). His coaching success is further reflected in the recognition of his players, with eight All-America selections, two CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 24 American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) All-Region selections, 20 D3Baseball.com All-Region selections, 15 ECAC All-Region selections, and 64 All-Conference players.
Notebaert’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, as he was named the D3Baseball.com New York Region Coach of the Year in 2021. He has also been honored as the Landmark Conference Coach of the Year on two occasions (2009, 2013), the Skyline Conference Coach of the Year twice (2021, 2025), and the recipient of the Academy’s prestigious Bill Omeltchenko Coach of the Year Award three times (2009, 2012, 2021). Under his leadership, the USMMA baseball team has earned the ABCA Team Academic Excellence Award eight times and has won the Dean’s Award for the highest team GPA at the Academy three times (2011, 2016, 2018).
Notebaert completed his MBA in Leadership & Management at Dowling College in 2010. He currently resides in East Meadow, NY, with his wife, Veronica, and their children, Andrew and Natalie.
