Coach John Sheppard P '17, Earns 500th Career Victory, Celebrating Decades of Excellence at MBS

Congratulations to Coach John Sheppard P '17, on reaching an incredible milestone—500 career victories as the head coach of the Morristown Beard School baseball team! This achievement places him among an elite group, as he becomes one of the few coaches in New Jersey high school baseball history to reach this milestone. Coach Sheppard has been with Morristown Beard School as the varsity baseball coach for the past 32 years. 

Reflecting on this major moment, Joanne Dzama, Upper School Director of Athletics, shared:
“Coach Shep's impact at Morristown Beard School has been nothing short of extraordinary. Reaching 500 career wins is a rare and remarkable milestone that reflects not only his dedication to excellence but also his enduring influence on student-athletes over the years. His teams are consistently known for their discipline, heart, and sportsmanship, and his leadership has helped shape generations of players both on and off the field. Coach Shep’s legacy at MBS is defined not just by victories, but by the countless lives he’s inspired along the way.”

Over the years, Coach Sheppard has built a program that’s earned not only accolades on the field but respect across the state. In 2016, he was named High School Division III, Region 2 Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association, an honor given to just eight coaches nationwide each year. That same spring, he was also named the Daily Record’s Coach of the Season.

Under his leadership, MBS baseball has earned an impressive list of championships:

• Morris County Championship (2016)
   
• Five NJISAA Prep Championships (1996, 1997, 1999, 2007, 2008)
   
• Three NJSIAA Non-Public B State Sectional Championships (2005, 2010, 2021)
   
• Colonial Hills Conference Championships (2008, 2009)
   
• Six NJAC Conference Championships (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2022, 2025)
   

Coach Sheppard was named Colonial Hills Conference Coach of the Year in 2008 and was inducted into the New Jersey High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 2014. In a standing room only ceremony back in 2023, Coach Sheppard was also inducted into the Morristown Beard School Athletic Hall of Fame. 

In addition to athletic excellence, Coach Sheppard has fostered academic success as well. The MBS baseball team has been honored nationally for academics by the American Baseball Coaches Association for nine consecutive years—a testament to the culture of balance and integrity he’s built within the program.

 “Congratulations Shep - 500 wins is impressive for so many reasons and reflects a long and impactful tenure,” said Morristown Beard Head of School Liz Morrison. “It is rare to find a coach who is as committed to character-building opportunities and scholarship as they are to wins. He holds our scholar-athletes to a high standard both on and off the field. Embedded in those 500 wins are valuable life lessons about commitment, resilience, and humility.”