Bill Holowaty, baseball coach of Eastern Connecticut State University (ECSU) retired Friday, after a suspension for the rest of the season for violating certain university policies and verbal and physical abuse.

Assistant coach Michael Grant will replace Holowaty for the rest of the regular season and any post season games.

Holowaty, 68, led the Warriors to four national championships and 1,403 wins in his 45-year career, considered the most in New England history. He is credited to be the third most successful coaches in NCAA Division III history.

He was also a health and physical education professor at the university.

"It's tough to be a leader," Holowaty said. "It's tough to do it for 45 years and be perfect. I've made many mistakes but everything I've done has been in the best interest of kids and making them better. There has never been a moment where I would do something to hurt and kid. Never. Never, ever, ever."

Holowaty was suspended for not following orders from his manager in a timely manner and financial procedures mentioned in the department manual and for not following proper documentation of department funds.

There was to be an ECSU investigation and if found not guilty he would have been allowed to join in May.

"It's really sad to see a guy who has done a lot of good - obviously, he wasn't perfect, but his heart was always in the right place - be dragged through the mud after building the program to national prominence," said Grant. "My thoughts right now are with Coach."

This was not the first time Holowaty was punished for his cursing and abusive behavior.

- He was suspended in 1997 for kicking a player. In his defense, he said that at the time he was upset and meant to kick the bench.

- In 1994, Holowaty was penalized after a player alleged that the coach hit him during a game.

- In 2012, the NCAA Division III men's baseball committee claimed that Holowaty displayed unprofessional behavior during an NCAA regional, hosted by the university. As a result, the committee banned the university from hosting for a year.

- Last year, Holowaty was suspended one game after cursing at an umpire and telling him, "You'll never work here again," in a game against Keene State.