The first college coach in the state of New York to reach 700 wins, Dick Vining compiled a career record of 815-686-17 at three schools over five decades. He was head coach of the Long Island University program for 28 seasons and compiled a 574-503-13 record. C.W. Post enjoyed a total of 15 winning seasons under Vining's tutelage while reaching the NCAA Division II Tournament four times before moving up to NCAA Div. I in 1986. After moving to NCAA Div. I, Vining's teams showed no signs of slowing down, capturing the Diamond Conference Championship in five of their last seven seasons in the conference, including a run of four consecutive conference championships in the early 1990's. Vining earned five Coach of the Year awards in recognition of his teams’ successes.
His lifetime record of 815-686-17 over 51 seasons is testament to his long association with the sport, cementing his legacy as the first collegiate baseball coach in New York State to reach the 700-win plateau. In 2004, he reached a milestone by coaching his 1,500th college game.
A relationship of more than three decades with Long Island University began when Vining became the head coach at the school's Brooklyn Campus. In nine seasons, he amassed a record of 158-82-2, with the 1968 squad reaching the number-one ranking in the nation for college division teams. He was named Coach of the Year that season.
After three seasons with the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy in the mid-1970's, Vining renewed his LIU roots by taking over as head coach at C.W. Post in 1978.
A former associate professor of health science and physical education at C.W. Post for 17 seasons, Vining served as president of the Metropolitan Collegiate Baseball Conference from 1983-84. He was a member of the NCAA Division II selection and All-Star committees and made enormous contributions to the international game. He helped spread the game of baseball overseas by becoming the first U.S. coach to take a collegiate team to the People's Republic of China in 1985. One year later, he took his team to compete in Holland, followed by a 1987 tour of what was then Czechoslovakia.
Vining was a 2007 inductee into the LIU Post Athletic Hall of Fame.
