He instead chose to attend college, and played four seasons with Seton Hall, helping the Pirates to the 2001 Big East Conference Baseball Tournament title, and a pair of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Baseball Championship appearances.
He was named to that position prior to the 2012 season. After a successful high school career in Brewster, New York, Leighton was drafted in the 1997 MLB Draft by the Philadelphia Phillies. Leighton earned his degree from Seton Hall in 2001, and would later add a master"s degree from Manhattan College.
After graduating, Leighton accepted an assistant coach position at Manhattan, serving under then-head coach Steve Trimper.
With Trimper"s departure for Maine, Leighton was elevated to head coach, after just four years as an assistant. He led the Jaspers to a pair of Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Baseball Tournament titles and National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Baseball Championship appearances.
Manhattan would repeat the performance in 2011, but fell in both National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament games. In his time at Manhattan, Leighton coached 51 All-Conference players and produced eleven professional players.
On July 18, 2012, Leighton was named head coach at Fordham.
