With six years of collegiate coaching and 22 years of professional scouting experience, Don Fontana is the owner and Director of Gold Glove Baseball Camp LLC for the past 17 years. A native of the Washington D.C. area, Fontana played his high school baseball at St. John’s College HS (DC) and continued his playing career as a catcher at Duquesne University. 

  Fontana began his coaching career at The Catholic University of America (DC) in 1994, coaching the Cardinal hitters and serving as 1st Base Coach. He assisted in the organization and administration of the program’s summer/winter baseball camps, recruiting efforts and daily administration. During his tenure at Catholic, the Cardinal’s posted a 25-15 record which was the program’s best since 1980. In the summer of 1995, Fontana served as an assistant coach with the Vienna Mavericks of the Clark Griffith Collegiate Baseball League. 

  From 1995-1997, Fontana served as the Pitching Coach at the University of Maryland. Responsible for a 13-man Terp pitching staff, the 1996 staff set a new strikeout record, won seven ACC games (a program best since 1981) and featured future major leaguer, LHP Eric Milton. The 1997 staff featured two ACC Pitchers of the Week and highlighted RHP Brandon Agammenone, a Montreal Expos draftee, and LHP Tom Curtiss, drafted by the Atlanta Braves. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Fontana assisted with recruiting, alumni and booster club activities. 

  In the fall of 1997, Fontana joined the coaching staff at Georgetown University to work with the Hoya catchers and hitters while also coaching 3rd base. The Hoyas 22-34 record during the 1998 season was the program’s best since 1986.

  For the 1998-99 season, Fontana served as the hitting and catching coach at Niagara University during which CF Aaron Mindel and 3B Geoff Hoover lead the MAAC in batting average, on-base percentage, home runs, and slugging percentage. Fontana assumed the duties of pitching and catching coach for the Purple Eagles in the fall of 1999. Niagara pitchers set three school records and improved in six statistical categories during the 2000 season with RHP Chris Begg (San Francisco Giants) and RHP Aaron Mierzwa (Richmond Roosters) continuing on to professional careers.

  In the winter of 2001, Fontana joined the scouting staff of the Pittsburgh Pirates as an Associate Scout, assisting in the organization’s scouting efforts in western New York, Pennsylvania and the DC metro area. Along with assisting with the Pirates pre-draft and free agent workouts, Fontana also worked as an instructor at Rick Lancellotti’s Buffalo School of Baseball (NY) and the Bianco School of Baseball (PA). 

  Fontana spent 15 years (2005-2020) as a part-time scout with the Milwaukee Brewers evaluating amateur players in western/central Pennsylvania, New York, eastern Ohio, western Maryland and West Virginia. For his efforts, he was recognized as the Mid Atlantic Scouts Association Part Time Scout of the Year in 2019.  Fontana joined the New York Mets scouting staff as an Associate Scout prior to the 2021 season and contributes to their amateur and independent league coverage.

  He holds a B.A. in Print Journalism from Duquesne University, an M.S. in Secondary Education from Niagara University, Pennsylvania and New York teaching certificates, and is four classes from completing an M.A. in Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville (OH). Fontana has worked as a camp instructor at the Old Dominion University Invitational Camps, Princeton University Babe Ruth Baseball Camps, Home Run Baseball Camp, Best in Virginia Showcase Camp, Elrod Hendricks Baseball Camp, taught 7th & 8th grade history at the Catholic Academy of West Buffalo, and taught 9th & 10th grade theology at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart High School (PA), and 11th grade theology at Seton LaSalle High School (PA). 

  Fontana is currently in his third year as the Director of Adult Formation at St. Paul of the Cross Parish and in his fourth year (part-time) as the Director of Formation at Our Lady of the Angels and St. Maria Goretti Parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He resides in Ross Township, PA with his wife and six children.