Alabama A&M University head baseball coach Manny Lora has been fired from his position. The former Alabama A&M Bulldogs baseball player was hired August 23, 2018 to replace former coach Mitch Hill who resigned from his position at AA&M and accepted the head coaching job at Martin Methodist College.
In 2016, Lora joined the Alabama A&M coaching staff as the team’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. After being named the interim head coach, Lora was promoted to head coach.
As a student at Alabama A&M University, Lora redshirted for the Bulldogs his first year. During his redshirt freshman year, he made five starts in 15 total appearances and posted a 6.00 earned run average and a 4–3 W–L record. Lora also registered 39 strikeouts and 33 walks in 42 innings pitched. In his sophomore year, Lora posted a 2–6 record in 10 starts with 50 strikeouts.
Lora, who spent two years as the Bulldogs head coach in addition to several years as the team’s pitching coach, had a coaching record in 2019 of 16–35 including a 12–11 Southwestern Athletic Conference record and finished third in the East Division.
Lora started the 2020 season 3-14 before the Coronavirus shut all of collegiate sports down. His overall record at Alabama A&M:
2019 16 – 35
2020 3 – 14
Total: 19 – 49
Possible replacement for the Bulldog head coaching position includes former Winston Salem State University coach Kevin Ritsche, currently coaching at his alma mater the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. Ritsche built WSSU baseball program from scratch into a powerhouse program and national ranking in his tenure. Another possibility is former Stillman College coach Julius McDougal, an assistant Coach/recruiting coordinator at Eastern Kentucky University. While at Stillman during McDougal’s first year, they upset the nation’s top ranked team and went on a 23 game winning streak including six wins verses ranked opponents.
It is very important for HBCU to seek out African American baseball Head coaches because so the talented African American high school baseball players have a place they can go play at a high level and be at an institution where they fit in socially, academically and athletically. Most coaching staffs are going to hire kids that look like them for the most part. If the PWI don’t hire African American coaches then who is going to give these black coaches an opportunity to flourish.
I am getting tired of hearing they are not any African American kids playing baseball. This is so not true. These players are getting overlooked because for the most part the coaches who are doing the recruiting are not looking for them unless they are all world. It is unfortunate that HBCU are not being more diligent in recruiting these talented African American young baseball players.
Once an issue is accepted and approved it becomes the norm( Martin Luther King Jr.). There first must be awareness before there can be a concenses for correction. Brothers-Sisters, if not now – then went. # HBCU baseball alumni “United”.
My son played for the best coach we’ve ever been around. My son attended and graduated from Southern Univetsity. He played baseball and started all four years. AAMU would be smart to hire Wesley Shaw. A coach who wins with integrity. Coach Shaw knows where to recruit talent and secure it. Coach develops successful men and produces effective graduates. His track record of developing successful black student-athletes is unmatched. Coach Shaw cares. He would be very successful at AAMU very quickly. Hiring Coach Shaw is a no brainer. A true professional with over 700 wins, 80% winning record, CWS experience, 100% graduation rate and over 150 professional players.
B.Oates, You almost hit the nail on the head, but this goes right up to the President of the HBCU’s and there mission. Not only does the HBCU get rewarded with federal dollars for that mission, they leave a bigger hole in the player and coach gap, opportunities. All coaches need to be held accountable when; they get hired, black or non black.If they can’t find black players they should not be hired. That should be the first question in the interview. There is plenty of black baseball talent out there and they are not going to PWI, if B.players are giving the opportunity. As EMac clearly articulated, good players are all over the country if your looking. But if you not you won’t find any. I attended a MLB player prospect development event in Chi and there we so many talented players.There is no excuse. What I didn’t see was many college coaches, HBCU or other wise. All those guys were not getting drafted either. I’ll leave it at that. The BUCK knows where they are as well…..
Jason Anderson, Southern University former player (97-02) and Asst. Coach (02-04, 14) could turn A&M around immediately if given a chance!!
Ladale Hayes
One can only hope that this is not the demise of HBCU baseball coaches. There is no shortage of blame to toss around as to why the numbers of coaches, as well as players, are shrinking. I’m geographically biased, as I’m here in South Florida. My son’s expensive, grueling Summer travel season has us playing other talented black kids, WITH black coaches, from The Bahamas, to Biloxi. The talent is here, at ALL positions. Our boys are good pitchers, and good catchers, too. And there are numerous great coaches. What galls me is that our boys, coaches and parents think they have to take their D1 talents to South Beach, instead of The MEAC or SWAC. And it’s ok if the child doesn’t have D1 talent, or a D1 transcript. Quality, traditional, supportive environments are at all levels. Get it where you fit in. My three-legged barstool of life at the collegiate level; great coaching/player development, academic integrity and support, and opportunity to play/train for the business side ((NOT NECESARRILY IN THAT ORDER)). Finally, as an HBCU grad of The Mecca, the HBCU route is my hope for my son who’s a HS Junior, but HE has to be happy with the coach, environment, course study and opportunity. Fingers crossed, as I hope he finds a coach at a school where all these things are possible. I hope that our black college coaches give birth to the HBCU version of Tony Dungy, and get more of our qualified, successful coaches to bring along other talent.
B. Oates
The recent firing of the Alabama A&M head coach was do to disciplinarian reasons which required corrective action assuring the action of the coaching staff will not happen again. In response to “HBCU athletic directors” not hiring “quality black head coaches & players.” HBCUs athletic department have interview many black head coaches across the nation, case in point Southern hired Kerrick Jackson from the University of Missouri Tigers a powerhouse SEC conference member spent five seasons as an assistant. HBCUs don’t have the budgets or revenue stream to hire top dollar coaches as most coaching staff assistant are promoted from within the baseball program. HBCU baseball yearly budgets at best is in the $400,000 to $450,000 range compared to non HBCUs $2 to $7 million dollars. Keep in mind that ALL HBCU athletic directors are always looking for the best coaches but they have to answer to the schools top administrator the presidents whom pull the strings so to speak. Your argument is with the schools head honchos not the ADs.
The death of the black college baseball coach at HBCU’s has arrived, and the assassins are HBCU athletic directors. Since the late 80’s there has been a myth that African-American kids aren’t playing baseball and if you want a winning college program you have have non black coaches and players. The sickest thing of this is ALL HBCU AD’s bought into this. Quality black coaches can’t get an interview. Reference the above article. If black coaches & players can’t get opportunity at an HBCU then where?!?