Santa Clara University

Before coaching Santa Clara, Justin Fitzgerald was a standout athlete in the Bay Area. It was rumored Fitzgerald turned down as many as six offers to play professional baseball, including for the New York Highlanders/Yankees, to finish his four years at Santa Clara. After graduating, he promised the Highlanders his talents. Fitzgerald was 19 years old when he broke into the big leagues on June 20, 1911, with the New York Highlanders.