University of the Incarnate Word Athletics

Nick Zaleski was named the head coach of the University of the Incarnate Word baseball program on June 24, 2025. Zaleski comes to San Antonio after serving as an assistant coach at Tarleton State University from 2023 to 2025. 

Within 16 years of college baseball, Zaleski has won nine championships as a coach and player. He has been part of the two longest winning streaks in the Southland Conference tournaments, the first during his time as a player at Sam Houston State and the second as a coach for McNeese.

Within 12 year coaching-career:

• The only person to win three consecutive championships as a player (2006-2009) and a coach (2019-2022) in Southland Conference history.
• Recruited or Coached 29 MLB Draft Picks, 6 Free Agent Signings
• Coached 60 All-Conference Players, 32 All-Tournament Team Players
• Led the conference in hitting five times
• 7x ABCA Academic Excellence Award Winner as Academic Coach (1 of 12 schools in Division I to do so (2016-2021)) 
• 38 Academic All-Conference Players
• 4 Academic All-Americans
• Coached four active, six total Major League players

In first season as the Head Coach at UIW:

• Helped guide 3 players to All-Conference Honors
• Five All-Academic Conference Players 
• Tripled conference win total
• Led all of Division I and the Southland Conference in fielding percentage (.985)
• Led the conference in batting average, hits per game

As an Assistant Baseball Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at Tarleton State (2024-2025): 

• Won the 2024 WAC Conference Tournament, making the Texans the first baseball program from a reclassified Division I institution to win a conference tournament title
• Led WAC in fielding percentage (.979) (2024) 
• Led WAC in stolen bases
• Coached Conference Tournament MVP (2024)
• Seven players received All-Conference Honors under his tenure

As an Assistant/Associate Head Baseball Coach at McNeese (2016-2023): 

• Won Two Regular Season Conference Titles (2017, 2022)
• Won Two Southland Conference Tournament Titles (2019, 2021)
• Two Regional Appearances at Vanderbilt (2019), TCU (2021)
• Led the Southland Conference in total hits, total doubles, total home runs, total bases, batting average, and fielding percentage
• Ranked second in the conference in total runs, total triples, total RBIs and total stolen bases
• Helped guide 34 players to All-Conference Honors
• Player awards received under his tenure
  • SLC Pitcher of the Year (3x)
  • SLC Player of the Year 
  • SLC Relief Pitcher of the Year/Louisiana Pitcher of the Year 
  • Rawlings Gold Glove winner (2x at 3B and CF) 
  • SLC Hitter of the Year
  • National Stolen Bases Leader
  • Conference Tournament MVP

As an Assistant Baseball Coach at the University of Texas San Antonio (2013-2015):

• Won WAC Conference Tournament Title (2013)
• Regional Appearance at Oregon State (2013)
• Worked with one of the top-10 offenses in program history at UTSA
• Helped guide 13 players to All-Conference Honors

Zaleski’s playing career began at Sam Houston State from 2006-2009. During his time in  Huntsville, Zaleski helped the Bearkats to three Southland Conference Tournament Championships and three NCAA Regional appearances, including the 2007 Oxford Regional Championship game. In 2009, Zaleski claimed the single-season batting average record at Sam Houston after hitting .419. 

Zaleski played professionally in the Toronto Blue Jays organization from 2009 to 2010.  

In 2009, Zaleski received his bachelor's degree in marketing from Sam Houston State and went on to earn a master's degree in human performance with an emphasis in sports management two years later from the University of Alabama.  

A native of Sugar Land, T.X., Zaleski is joined by his wife, Amy, and their daughter, Avery.