| Richard Bedard | ||
 |
Title | Director of Athletics |
| richard.bedard@aic.edu | ||
| Phone | (413) 205-3532 | |
Richard F. Bedard of East Longmeadow, Mass. was named Director of Athletics at American International College on June 2, 2006, taking over for Robert E. Burke, who retired after 20 years in the post. Bedard, no stranger to AIC or athletics has served in several positions at the college since 1973. He is currently the executive vice president of administration and will remain in that position. Bedard is just the sixth athletic director at AIC in the last 59 years and only the third since 1971.
Bedard received his bachelor's degree from Amherst College and his M.B.A. degree from AIC.
Bedard graduated from Springfield Technical High School in 1967, where he was an All-Western Mass. 3rd baseman under coach Howie Burns. He played varsity baseball at Amherst College for coach Bill Thurston, and later was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 18th round in June, 1971.
After playing a year in the New York Penn League for the Niagara Falls Pirates, Bedard was named Hitchcock Fellow at Amherst College, and served there as assistant varsity basketball coach and freshman baseball coach.
In 1973, Bedard was named assistant baseball coach at AIC. The following year he was appointed head coach. Bedard led the AIC baseball team to an ECAC Division II-III Championship in 1979. In nine seasons as head coach, Bedard amassed 122 wins, good for second on AIC's all-time win list behind Henry Butova's 175 career victories.
Bedard has served as a member of the Executive Committee for the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association, a game chairman for the New England College All-Star Game, and a member of the selection committee for the NCAA Division II New England Regional Baseball Tournament. He is currently a member of the Association of Professional Ball Players of America.
Bedard lives in East Longmeadow with his wife Patty and their three children.