After recent HBCU Baseball new head coach signings at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Clark Atlanta University, Florida Memorial University, and Dillard University, there remain five baseball programs without a head coach.
The decision on who is hired next faces an athletic department challenge of finding a leader who can bring baseball back to finish atop of their respective conferences.
Alcorn State University, Delaware State University, Bluefield State University, Oakwood University, and Xavier University of Louisiana (LA) are still without head coaches and assistants. The school’s’ daunting task emphasizes the importance of finding a good fit for their programs.
The head coach landscape has many expressing interest. That’s great news! But how do athletic directors and administrators figure out which coaches will be a good fit?
This past season had more head coaching movement than in the last 20 years. What needs to be taken into consideration. There will be no certainty that the same core players will be back in 2025 alongside whoever the new head coach is.
With the middle part of the summer here and campuses will open soon, a new coach needs to be in place before the start of the fall ball schedule.
Here are five candidates who could be considered for the HBCU coaching vacancy.
Drew Clark – Alabama State University Associate Head Coach /Recruiting Coordinator
From reliable sources, Alcorn State will not look to hire in-house to replace Reggie Williams. Clark is a potential name to look for.
He is entering his 14th season on the Alabama State baseball staff, his eighth as Associate Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator under Head Coach Jose Vazquez entering the 2022 season. Clark serves as the recruiting coordinator and hitting coach for the Hornets. He also oversees the infielders and catchers defensively.
Clark was a pupil of former coach Mervyl Melendez.
In his last eight years under Jose Vazquez, Clark has been instrumental in the Hornets improvement in batting average, slugging, on-base percentage and stolen bases. ASU led the SWAC conference and the NCAA in offensive top statistical categories.
Daniel Stockdale – Delaware State University Head Softball Coach
Daniel Stockdale may be one of the most coveted candidates for coaching vacancies across HBCU baseball. The Atlanta native has built arguably one of the most impressive resumes for any of the recent coaches hired.
Stockdale was appointed as the Hornets’ head softball coach in August 2021.
In more than seven years of college coaching, Stockdale has contributed to two conference regular season championships, one conference tournament title and a NCAA regional appearance. Stockdale was an assistant softball coach at Georgia State University in Atlanta from 2017 to 2020 and also served as the University of Memphis softball coach in 2016 and 2017.
Prior to Memphis, Stockdale served as head baseball coach at NCAA Division II Albany State in the SIAC. During his time in Albany, Ga., the Golden Rams went 32-12 in conference play, winning the 2015 SIAC Championship and the 2016 SIAC regular season title. Under Stockdale, ASU advanced to the 2015 NCAA DII South Regional Baseball Tournament. The 2015 team was also ranked fourth overall in the NCAA for stolen bases.
Before his time at Albany State, Stockdale served as an assistant baseball coach for NCAA Division I Savannah State.
Patrick Barbour – Jackson State Community College Pitching Coach
The two-time head NCAA Division II baseball coach would be a good fit at Bluefield State University and should be on Big Blues’ radar.
Barbour was assistant coach at Albany State University in 2015-2016 and became the head coach at Lane College in 2019.
Barbour was the pitching coach on the staff with Daniel Stockdale in 2015 as Albany State captured the SIAC Championship and made its second ever appearance in the NCAA South Regional. Five Golden Rams received all-conference accolades, with two ASU players receiving All-South Regional team recognition.
The 2016 campaign will be Barbour’s seventeenth season of coaching overall, fourteen of which have come at the collegiate level. He has experience serving as assistant coach/recruiting coordinator at the NCAA Division II level and head coaching experience at the NCAA Division II, NAIA, and high school levels.
Barbour’s success has carried over into winning a national HBCU baseball title in 2020.
Adrian Holloway – Former Xavier University (LA) Head Coach
Holloway could turn Oakwood University baseball program around in a heartbeat.
Holloway takes his teams to another level. Every head coaching stop he has made was huge. He’s wasted no time establishing himself as a winner.
Xavier (LA) announced Holloway as head coach of XULA’s relaunched baseball program in January 2020. In the 2021 inaugural season, the Gold Rush finished the season 27-11 and played in the Black College World Series championship game losing to Bluefield State.
Adrian Holloway was the head coach for six seasons (2014-19) at Selma University in Selma, AL, and compiled a 117-59 (.665) record there. Selma made six consecutive national tournament appearances, including World Series appearances in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association in 2014, 2018 and 2019.
Under his helm, Selma attained No. 1 power rankings in the USCAA in 2018 and 2019, plus a No. 1 ranking in the USCAA in 2014. His teams at Selma earned top-10 rankings in the National Christian College Athletic Association… No. 6 in 2015 and No. 10 in 2016
Coach Holloway was chosen NCCAA South Region Coach of the Year in 2017. Selma ballplayers were selected for 11 HBCU All-America awards. He also served as Selma University’s athletics director for three years (2016-19).
Adrian Holloway is a native of Selma and a graduate of Alabama State University, where he played infield and outfield for three seasons.
Florentino Burgos – Johnson City Doughboys Appalachian League Hitting Coach
Burgos would be a good fit for Xavier University of Louisiana.
Burgos joined Florida memorial University as head baseball coach in the summer of 2016.
During Burgos’ tenure, the FMU baseball program developed into one of the best teams among Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and grew to be highly competitive in The Sun Conference – often referred to as the “toughest baseball conference in the NAIA”.
In 2023, Burgos won the Black College Worlds Series championship, defeating NCAA Div. II school Albany State 5-4.
In addition to the many FMU players selected for the Sun Conference all-conference teams, more than 10 FMU players have received the Sun Conferences’ All-Academic Team honors, demonstrating the culture of academic excellence that Burgos has established.
In 2018, the Lions were one game away from winning the SUN Conference tournament and advancing to the NAIA National Tournament.
In 2019, FMU achieved a No. 1 ranking in the Black College Nines National HBCU Baseball Poll for the first time in its history and Burgos was named HBCU Coach of the Year by Black College Nines. That year, FMU finished the season tied for third in the Sun Conference and reached the Sun Conference Tournament for the first time in over 15 years.
Since 2018, the Lions have consistently been ranked in the top 10 of the Black College Nines Small School Division. In 2021, FMU was chosen to compete in the HBCU World Series in Alabama.