Bio

Entering his ninth season as the Head Baseball Coach at Anna Maria College in 2026, Dan Briand has established himself as a cornerstone of the AMCATS baseball program. In March of 2025 Briand became the All-Time Winningest Coach in Baseball Program History. Under his leadership, the team has achieved significant milestones, including back-to-back 20-win seasons in 2022 and 2023 capping off a run of four consecutive seasons above .500. The AMCATS have made two GNAC Championship appearances, once in 2021 and again in 2023, further solidifying their status as a competitive program in the conference and in the region.

The 2025 season marked the fifth consecutive season where at least one of Coach Briand’s players received All-Region recognition as well as qualifying their seventh consecutive GNAC Tournament appearance.  Over his time in Paxton Briand has recruited and developed one of the most powerful pitching staffs in the nation, finishing again just outside the top 10 in K/9 nationally for the second consecutive year.

Despite facing a challenging schedule in 2024, where over 25% of opponents were regionally and nationally ranked, the AMCATS continued to perform at a high level, qualifying for their sixth consecutive GNAC Tournament appearance. Additionally, a player earned All-Region honors for the fourth consecutive year, with two players named to the GNAC All-Conference team and 13 earning GNAC Academic All-Conference recognition. The AMCATS pitching staff also finished the season tied for 11^th in the nation in K/9 (9.5) which is the highest finish nationally in that statistical category in program history.

The 2023 season was a highlight in the program's history. The team not only reached the GNAC Championship for the second time in three years but also produced the GNAC Player of the Year for the third consecutive year. Five players received All-Region honors, and Coach Briand secured his 100th career win, marking the highest winning percentage of any coach in the history of Anna Maria College baseball. Seventeen players were named to the GNAC Academic All-Conference team for the 2023 academic year.

Under Coach Briand's guidance, the 2022 season saw the AMCATS set new records for home runs (31) and runs scored (289) while ranking in the top 20 nationally for team batting average for the second consecutive year. The team's 23 victories set a new program record for regular season wins. The team swept all major GNAC end-of-year awards, with Jason Shell earning GNAC Player of the Year, and Nick Choate receiving both GNAC Pitcher of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors. Six players were named to the d3baseball.com All-Region Team, with three also earning spots on the Rawlings ABCA All-Region Team.

Throughout his tenure, Briand has overseen the development of 14 d3baseball.com All-Region selections, 9 Rawlings/ABCA All-Region selections, 3 GNAC Players of the Year, 2 GNAC Pitchers of the Year, 3 GNAC Rookies of the Year, and 41 GNAC All-Conference honorees. The AMCATS consistent performance has garnered national attention, earning votes in the d3baseball.com National Top 25 Poll, despite facing one of the most challenging non-conference schedules annually. Coach Briand also places a program wide emphasis on academics with his student-athletes and 74 of his players have received GNAC Academic All-Conference recognition since he took over the program.

Before joining Anna Maria College, Briand served as the top assistant coach at Fitchburg State University, contributing to back-to-back MASCAC Tournament appearances under 2016 MASCAC Coach of the Year, Kevin Barnaby. He also spent time as the top assistant at Roger Williams University, working under four-time CCC Coach of the Year, Derek Carlson.

Briand holds a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Becker College, where he played baseball from 2005-2009, serving as team captain in his junior and senior years. He played a key role in Becker's first New England Collegiate Conference Championship in 2009, earning All-NECC First Team and NECC All-Tournament Team honors, along with a nomination for Conference Player of the Year.

Following his playing career, Briand joined the coaching staff at Becker College, contributing to the program's highest winning percentage in 2011. He also has a long tenure with the Northbridge American Legion Baseball team, serving as an assistant from 2006-2017 and as assistant manager from 2009. He guided the team to multiple Zone 4 Titles and a trip to the 2015 American Legion State Tournament. In 2024, Briand returned to Northbridge Legion Baseball as the Executive Vice President and General Manager and is set to assume the role of Team President after the 2025 season.