Coach Bob O’Conor: Randy Schools Big Train Outstanding Service Award Winner

Coach Bob after throwing out the first pitch on his appreciation night (Esther Frances)

It’s safe to say the Bethesda Big Train would not be the organization it is without its top notch coaching staff. Our Hall of Fame Manager Sal Colangelo is appropriately acknowledged for his extraordinary 600+ wins, the fifth most among active summer coaches. 

On Saturday July 20, Big Train founder Bruce Adams presented Coach Bob O’Conor – Coach “O” – with the Randy Schools Big Train Outstanding Service Award on his retirement after six years of service as the Big Train’s bench coach. 

“Sal is amazing,” reflected Adams. “But Sal will be the first to tell you our success is because of the talented brain trust of coaches who support him.”

In thanking him for his six years of service, manager Sal Colangelo emphasized the importance of Coach O’Conor’s role behind the scenes in “doing the little things our fans don’t see or notice.” 

O’Conor is a Montgomery County native. He attended Damascus High School, joined the United States Navy, and then jumped back into playing baseball at Montgomery College and American University.

“As I was playing college baseball, I coached in the summer. I coached an All-Star team from Montgomery Village, and ever since then I’ve been coaching all sorts of age groups,” said O’Conor.  

His baseball experience spans over 40 years. From little league to college ball, working with all different ages has helped him learn how important communication and communication styles are between players and their coaches.

“I can say the same thing to three or four different players and they’ll be one of those that won’t get what I’m saying. I feel it’s my responsibility to figure out how to communicate to each one to help them. That helps them understand what I am trying to communicate,” said O’Conor.

Coach Bob and Big Train players at the 2024 All Star Game where he was the head coach (Bruce Adam)

O’Conor joined the Big Train in 2019 after an impressive record at the collegiate and high school level.

“As soon as I got here, he was like ‘Alright let’s get that extra work in,’ and you could tell that he cared about us. No other coach cares by putting in extra work and making it a point,” said Big Train infielder Landon Franklin. “He has gone above and beyond for us.”

After working with little league teams, O’Conor returned to his alma mater, Damascus High School, to coach. During his 11 years on staff, the Hornets had an impressive 104-9 overall record.

Following that, he was the infield coach at Montgomery College for 15 years. He helped the team reach seven Regional and District Championships while also adding seven NJCAA World Series appearances.

While his baseball knowledge is extensive, he also pulls lessons from his time serving in the Navy to incorporate into baseball.

                               Coach Bob and his wife Rebecca after she threw out the first pitch (Esther Frances)

“One of the things really pushed into me in the Navy was to identify problems, adapt, overcome, and don’t make excuses. So, I think as a coach, I always tried to instill that,” said O’Conor.  

Over the years with the Big Train, he has had many memorable games, but his favorite is last year’s championship win because the team came from behind to win it.

“Last year was the first year that we weren’t the first seed since I’ve been here, so that championship was special, maybe even a little unexpected,” said O’Conor.

Coaches and players alike are thankful for the knowledge and expertise that O’Conor brings to the team.

“We love Shirley, but it’s kind of a hard place to play, especially on the infield. So, he told me coming in here, you gotta be patient, but always, you know go back to the basics and not try to do too much on the field,” said Franklin. “That has really stuck with me this whole season.”

The more experience Coach Bob got, the more he realized that his job was less about changing the world and more about the relationships he forms with the players.

“There’s a phrase that players don’t care what you know, until they know that you care, and I am a firm believer in that and I just want these guys to be the best versions of themselves, not the best version of what they think they should be,” said O’Conor.

The Big Train has been fortunate to have O’Conor on its team for the past few years. While he will be deeply missed, his knowledge and character have made an impact that will last a lifetime.