in August 2019. In addition, the Pioneers won their NEC-best eighth Joan Martin Commissioner's Cup for excellence in women's athletics in 2015, and overall the Pioneers have captured 13 conference championships since he has taken the helm. Programs have garnered national acclaim in that time, with the football team finishing the 2014 season nationally ranked, and the fencing squad finishing 11th in the NCAA at the 2014 championship. In September 2016 Valentine was named the ECAC Division I Administrator of the Year. Awards and honors Elected to the Connecticut High School Coaches Hall of Fame (1986) New Jersey Sports Writers Association "Sports Humanitarian of the Year" (2001) Beyond baseball Since 1980, Valentine has owned and operated Bobby V's Restaurant & Sports Bar, a sports bar that is located in his hometown of Stamford, with franchises slated to open in Norwalk, Connecticut, Arlington, Texas, and Middletown, Rhode Island. In 2010, Valentine started the production company, Makuhari Media, with producing partner Andrew J. Muscato. The company produces sports themed documentaries. In 2011, Mayor Michael Pavia named Valentine Director of Public Safety for the city of Stamford, Connecticut. Valentine was paid a token $10,000 salary for this position, which he pledged to donate to city charities. Valentine left the position 11 months later to manage the Red Sox. In 2013, on the twelfth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Valentine made comments that accused the New York Yankees of not contributing support to the New York community in the wake of the attacks. He was widely criticized for the inaccuracy of his comments, as many media sources documented several occasions on which the Yankees visited victims and workers after the attacks, and for the untimeliness of trying to take credit for helping. TBS had originally planned to feature Valentine as a studio analyst during its MLB on TBS coverage for the 2013 postseason, but reportedly declined to do so after the negative publicity his comments attracted. On December 9, 2016, WEEI reported that, on the recommendation of New Jersey governor Chris Christie, Valentine was being considered by Donald Trump's presidential transition team for appointment as the United States Ambassador to Japan. 2021 Stamford mayoral election On May 7, 2021, Valentine announced he was running for mayor of Stamford, Connecticut, in the 2021 election. He ran as an unaffiliated candidate. He was challenged by Democratic state representative Caroline Simmons in the Stamford mayoral election