In March 2011, Lesley University's baseball program began its inaugural season under the coaching of Michael Rocco, who has established a foundation for a program that has come into respectibility within two seasons of the team's inception.

After taking the team from an 0-28 record in the team's inaugural season of 2011, Rocco was named New England Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year in 2012 after the team improved to 8-26.

"I am privileged and honored that the Lesley Athletic Department has chosen me to pilot its athletic program to a new level of competition and notoriety with the addition of baseball to the men's varsity sports," commented Rocco.

Rocco comes to Lesley after the spending 2009-2010 at NECC rival Daniel Webster College in Nashua, New Hampshire. Rocco served as the Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator that went 4-6 in NECC conference games this past season. Aside from his recruiting duties, he worked with the hitters and infielders as well as serving numerous other game day duties.

During the summer of 2008, Rocco was an assistant coach with the Keene Swamp Bats of the New England Collegiate Baseball League. There he coached top college players from around the country and helped guide them to the Northern Division finals. Two players from that Keene squad were selected in the 2009 First Year Player Draft in the 3rd and 19th rounds, respectively.

Before coaching at Daniel Webster, Rocco was a standout at Bryant University as the first baseman for the Bulldogs. A four-year starter, Rocco completed his career as the program leader in games played (204), third in career hits (221) and was the career leader in put outs, which he currently holds the NCAA Division II career and single season records.

As a freshman in 2004, Rocco helped lead the Bulldogs to their first ever Division II College World Series appearance in Montgomery, Alabama. That season saw Rocco garner Northeast 10 Conference Freshman of the Year honors. The following year in 2005, Rocco was a member of the Bryant basketball team that reached the NCAA Division II National Championship game.

The Tewksbury, Massachusetts native began his coaching career with the Billerica American Legion program and also served a year on the Lowell American Legion staff. He has also served as the Head Coach of the cross country team at Daniel Webster where he guided the Eagles to an NECC championship in 2008, culminating with a berth in the NCAA Regionals and his being named NECC Coach of the Year.

Rocco also serves as a certified teacher's aide at Tewksbury Memorial High School in Tewksbury, MA. He resides in South Boston.