Roger Cador sets another coaching milestone… another hall of fame induction, this time into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Cador will enter the hall with eight other members of the 2021 class as one of the most significant voices in HBCU baseball at the national level.
By the time the coaching legend retired from Southern University in 2017, Cador had a career record of 913-597-1. He earned 14 Southwestern Athletic Conference championships, a dozen 30-win seasons, 11 NCAA regional appearances, and three regional wins. Roger Cador coached 10 All-Americans and 62 of his players were drafted by MLB teams.
During Coach Cador’s outstanding career, he led the first Historically Black College and University baseball program to a win in the NCAA regionals and he paved the path putting Southern on the map as the best baseball program in the SWAC conference.
When Cador was promoted from an assistant coach in 1985, he built the entire program from scratch. He started with no equipment, no facilities, hardly what I would call a budget, and no help from the institution.
The most significant aspect of Southern University’s baseball program during Roger Cador’s early days was what he achieved despite minimal resources. Nonetheless, he has never complained and became a great ambassador for Southern University, HBCUs, the collegiate game, and Major League Baseball.
Cador’s greatest achievement came in 1987, when Southern became the first HBCU to win a game in an NCAA regional, upsetting No. 2 Cal State Fullerton, 1-0, in New Orleans.
Cador built the Jaguars while devoting his time to the local Baton Rouge community which led to funding the first on-campus stadium at Southern. He also raised funds and awareness in Baton Rouge for the American Heart Association, local youth, and softball teams.
He has raised money for just about every cause in Baton Rouge. Every year, when Southern hosts its fundraising banquet, Cador makes sure to invite the women’s softball team, so its players receive attention for their hard work.
It has been a whirlwind ride for Cador. Inducted into the SWAC Hall of Fame in 2018, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2019, and now the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame for the 2021 class.
The podcast centers on Coach Cador illustrious coaching career…
