DI/SWAC/ Baseball
By Michael Coker/Black College Nines
Prairie View A&M University continues national search for a new head baseball coach is currently underway. Many close to the process have been supremely confident that the number one priority over the baseball program for the Panthers.
There is little doubt that PVAMU will find a very good baseball coach. However, the successful baseball coach must have a solid plan in place is certainly what fans of the beleaguered baseball program are expecting.
Prairie View has earned the benefit of the doubt, but fans of the baseball program are becoming uneasy as they await an announcement.
In searching for a new baseball coach, Prairie View must not narrow the focus to thin while looking at big name head coaches. Sometimes the best candidates and top talent are waiting in the wings waiting for their chance to be given.
Over the past couple of months it is not known if PVAMU’s have discussed a large group of potential candidates to replace former head coach Waskyla Cullivan after his seven year tenure.
Are the candidate’s big name head coaches with connections to the Pathers pipeline, or up and coming coaches from smaller programs that look ready to make the jump to a higher level? One name to consider former Stillman College baseball coach Donny Crawford.
Crawford resigned this past May ended his 11-year reign over 11 seasons as head coach, Crawford amassed a career mark of 272-236 (.535) while claiming the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conferences (SIAC ) title on seven occasions with three runner up campaigns, transitioned Stillman from NCAA Division III to Division II, leading to seven NCAA Division II playoff berths.
While the Panther Baseball coaching job is one that is certainly deserving of a big name, let’s not forget that big names have to start from somewhere.
A search to find the next head coach is already underway.