Special meeting at N.C. A&T to announce new Aggie baseball coach today

Coach Joel Sanchez, an assistant coach from Bethune-Cookman, will be named the new baseball coach at N.C. A&T….

Special emergency meeting with N.C. A&T athletics today, to finalize Coach Joel Sanchez, as the new head baseball coach and Coach Love, an assistant at A&T for several years under former head coach Keith Shumate, was in line for the head job up until today, when the decision about Coach Sanchez was announced/decided……

45 thoughts on “Special meeting at N.C. A&T to announce new Aggie baseball coach today

  1. Is this a done deal? Sort of seems unfair since Coach Love did all the recruiting, planning, etc. for the year. I think the school should have given him a chance to prove himself.

  2. Word up told me this morning that it was a done deal and that they had called in players and families to let them know……

  3. That’s too bad. Not saying that Coach Sanchez won’t do a good job, but if they were going to make a move, they should have done it before Love did all the work. Anyone know players reactions?

  4. More on Coach Joel Sanchez from the Bethune-Cookman site and head coach Mervyl Melendez left Bethune-Cookman on July 26 to become the head coach at Alabama State Univesity…..

    Coach Joel Sanchez:
    This marks the ninth season for Joel Sanchez with the Bethune-Cookman University baseball program. Sanchez brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the program in areas of recruiting and teaching pitchers. Such is evident in the fact that numerous pitchers have been selected to the MLB (Major League Baseball) ranks in the draft since his arrival……..

    “Sanchez has a wealth of knowledge that he shares with our pitching staff daily, and year-in, year-out,” expresses B-CU head coach Mervyl Melendez. “His knowledge of collegiate pitching, and the way he works hard to teach and motivate them to be better is one of the reasons why we are successful on the mound each season. We are sending pitchers to the pro ranks, and he is a big reason for that.”

    Sanchez’s main duties at Bethune-Cookman include serving as the pitching coach for the Wildcats. He works tirelessly in that regard to make the B-CU pitching staff one of the “class” of the conference each year. Sanchez also serves as the recruiting coordinator for the Wildcats.

    Joel Sanchez not only knows baseball, but he has collegiate and professional experience to back it up. He played his college ball at New Mexico Junior College before finishing up his collegiate career at New Mexico State University as both a pitcher and shortstop for the Aggies. He graduated with a degree in Psychology in 1998 from NMSU.

    After graduating from college, Sanchez played for two seasons in the Mexican Professional Baseball League in Juarez, Mexico. He saw action as both a starting pitcher and as a relief hurler from 1998-99.

    But it may be Sanchez’s hard-working attitude and the hunger to make the Bethune-Cookman pitching staff the best in the country, not just the conference or region, that proves why he is a mainstay on the staff with Melendez.

    “I try to teach fundamentals and keep it simple for the guys,” states Sanchez. “I want them to work on their mechanics as much as possible, and to be able to maximize their potential with each and every pitch, or type of pitch they throw. I’ve seen this program grow and move in the right direction, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

    Joel Sanchez is a native of Jal, New Mexico, located in the southeastern corner of the state on the Texas border. He is a graduate of Jal High School, and was a four-year letterwinner for the Panthers.

  5. A&T ain’t Bethune Cookman…dude is in for a rude awakening. Anyone know who else they interviewed?

  6. Aggie-Did someone tell Broadway this ain’t Grambling if anyone is in for rude awakening it is him. As far as baseball team they have been much more successful last 10 years than football team. They won conference in 2005 and have beaten quality baseball teams. There has been what 9 or 10 guys drafted and All Americans the last two years. They just need to add a few quality pitchers and you will be “awakened” because they can be very succesful!

  7. Bethune is very good…has very good support for their baseball program-i.e.-budget, scholarships, etc…does A&T? nope. rude awakening. thanks for playing.

  8. Football team has support, have they been successful? No. How good was Bethune in baseball before Melendez took over? Not that good. New time, New Coach, New expectations. Thank you for playing.

  9. I am the parent of a current player and today their hearts were ripped out by Coach Love’s announcement that he was not selected as head coach. Just yesterday the entire team was so pumped and excited about Coach Love’s plans for the season. They ALL feel cheated. The entire team met with the AD this afternoon, who repeatedly admitted that mistakes were made in the process..that unlike the hiring for football, volleyball and track, there was no player rep on the interview committee, that he allowed Coach Love to do all the work this summer, and that he waited so long and strung them all along until after school started…and the only excuse he could come up with was “how many MEAC championships have we won?” Sanchez doesn’t know our school, our fine young men, nor does he care about A&T like Coach Love does…and he won’t fare any better in the championship department until more money and support is given the baseball program. I am not posting to disrespect anyone, I am sure Sanchez is a good pitching coach, but this was a very unfair decision which was made with total disregard of the fine young men who are Aggie Baseball and the Coaches (Shumate AND Love) who have given their heart and souls to make the baseball program a success despite the odds they faced. Coach Love has his own coaching philosophy and has recruited well…too bad the powers that be didn’t even give him a chance to prove himself.

  10. you really don’t know do you, aggiefan? new time, new coach, new expectations….SAME LACK OF SUPPORT. Without support there will be NO CHANCE to win ANYTHING like Bethune has the past 12 or so years. Football has support, but the bumbling idiots that were hired to coach that team before Broadway were completely and absolutely incompetent (see season results the past few years). Broadway will win because he has the resources AND he is a competent coach. Joe Torre could coach the baseball team, but with no support he wouldn’t win either.

  11. Abbie-The AD that made the great hire of Broadway is the same one who is making the hire of Sanchez. This is his first year so how bout giving him a chance before being Mr. Optimistic. Perhaps he is going to take the extra step to move the program to next level. However I do agree with Aggiemom I think the whole situation with Coach Love was handled very poorly and I believe he deserved chance to lead after all the work he had dedicated to the program.

  12. Sanchezs record speaks for itself. He indeed is the more qualified of the two (he & Love). Period. As for Love doing the recruiting this summer, that was his job, he was/is still on the payroll. He was not strung along by the AD, only by Shumate. He was going on a promise that Shumate gave him no one else. And no player has to be on the interview board, that is not a given, just a considerate gesture. Could the situation have been handled better, maybe. But it was handled in a professional manner, wether or not it meets anyone elses approval is irrelivant.

  13. dawgpound,
    I respectfully disagree. B-CU’s record is not necessarily Sanchez’ record. I am not saying the team will not support him, but he is going to have a much more difficult road ahead because A&T does not support baseball like Bethune does…that’s a given…I’ve seen it firsthand….I am just stating that the process was handled very poorly. No, a player does not have to be on the interview committee. and I know you are a big Aggie football supporter, but the Aggie Baseball team, one of the most successful programs at A&T, especially given the lack of financial support, deserves the same treatment as the football team and the volleyball team, both of whom had a player rep on their respective interview committees.

  14. And…Sanchez does have an impressive record…as a PITCHING coach…his bio only addresses pitching success. I hope he also works well with the position players and hitting, or get someone who will…of course, that comes at a cost I can only hope that A&T is willing to pay.

  15. While I am a football fan, I am an AGGIE FAN first and foremost ( you obviously assumed “I know you are a big Aggie football supporter” hence my name) And for that reason, I recognize that this basbeall program is in dire need of a new direction. You on the other hand sound like a disgruntled parent. lWhile baseball is a productive sport, it is not the most productive sport at A&T that would be the track team which is nationally ranked followed by the basketball teams (male & female). Football is the biggest revenue sport there, so the two can not even be compared. But that is beside the point. Sanchezs record as a player and coach speaks volumes. What hitting coach did A&T have the past few years? Wilson? Surely you jest if you think he served any purpose. Position coach? While they tried, none qualified. What you saw those guys on the field do was execute raw talent. Shumate and Love were smart in recruiting seasoned players that actually needed very little coaching. Having knowledge of the sport and executing as a coach are two diffirent things. Coach Love is a super person, but as a coach he is inexpereinced. Love is not ready. He has a lot to learn, he is still green behind the ears. Hopefully, he will stay on as the Asst. and be ready to take the helm when the time is right. Being an allumni, of course, I would much rather see a former Aggie take the lead, but only when they are ready. Bottom line is, this program needs new direction in order for it to go to the next level. Once everyone gets past the shock, the forged friendships and the reality of this, they will realize this is a positive step for this program. If everyone else calms down the guys will be just fine. They are resilient, THEY ARE AGGIES!

  16. I am not disgruntled parent…I, like the entire team, am disappointed
    In the way the new hiring was handled. It would have made so much sense to transition over summer…not after the first day of workouts. As for ass’t. Coaches, I only hope Sanchez has more success in being able to get the money he needs for a hitting/catching coach and position coach like B-CU has…that is what makes them successful. The team? They will be fine and will give Sanchez a chance.

  17. dawgpound says…..”Shumate and Love were smart in recruiting seasoned players that actually needed very little coaching”……uh, that’s about the craziest thing I’ve ever heard.

    Kids going to Texas and Carolina maybe……..but still, most kids need coaching!! Coaches often say they do their best coaching when the expectations and talent is down. I assume kids aren’t’ picking A&T over South Carolina so I assume further that they indeed need coaching and lots of it.

    To say an 18 year old doesn’t need coaching to compete at the college level demonstrates a lack of any kind of understanding about playing sports at a level other than HS………….where parents yell to “throw strikes” and “you gotta hit that pitch” and think they are coaching.

  18. I don’t think that was what he was implying. I see his point tho, the coaches knew the players they got already know the most part but do need a fine tuneing. I mean it is D! ball so they dont sale a brother short. I feel ya dawg. Aggie Pride.

  19. Just for the record, Dawn,the only person who has compared A&T to Bethune is our AD, who repeatedly compared the team to Bethune when the young men requested a meeting with him yesterday…its obvious he hired Sanchez because he wants that MEAD championship. I was simply stating that it will take more than one man to get there. And YES, all our players are talented, but even Melbourne players need skill specific coaching.

  20. What the MEAD chamionship. What Melbourne players and who is Dawn. Oh you mean MEAC and Dawg and the MLB. Dang sister you all turned around you be getting me confused. But for the record, Coach Sanchez didn’t come from Bethune, he came from Daytona State.

  21. Sorry, Dawg,
    It was the droid self-correct…MEAC, MLB, and Dawg…but look above at Sanchez’ bio…he has been at B-CU for 9 seasons and graduated from New Mexico State.

  22. You just mad you didn’t get the job!!! No one wants to play under your lack of coaching skills.. Those guys at A&T will be fine this year. Pitching is what that program has been lacking on for years, at least they will have improvement in that area with this new coach.

  23. My message was to the coach at G-tech.. What kind of coach gets on a blog and try to recruit!! That’s sorry!!

  24. Coach Sanchez left Bethune in 2008. He’s coaching at Daytona State College now. I feel that Coach Love was cheated for the head coach job and the players also.

  25. wow, they hired a junior college ASSISTANT coach to be the HEAD coach at a NCAA DI school? That makes perfect sense.

  26. GTCC……….nobody wants to go to GTCC and play in that weak division, you guys can’t even beat Greensboro College JV team and go recruit your own guys……….I sure hope you were not one of the coaches we interviewed….

  27. GTCC has never played Greensboro College JV, so get your facts right. A&T wouldn’t win our division, so keep your non-knowing baseball self off of here.

  28. GTCC has some good/great players coming in to program this year……… A&T might not come out on the good end of a 2 out of 3…..

  29. Better start evaluating AD and administration if Aggie Pride is to rebuild!
    Botched timing for football hire was bad! Compliance office hire coming from recently penalized D1 school was to clean this program up?? AD goes out of town when press starts questioning—— Out of town prevents baseball hire so incoming and returning players are already in school with no recourse or quarantees???? Then what a choice!!!!! How? a juco pitching assistant coach verses a former aggie player,and proven veteran assistant D1 coach, with current D1 experience— one-that was led to believe job his and worked to build this program which he has alot of PRIDE in—-GOT TO BE KIDDING!!!! a no brainer for an experienced D 1 AD right!!!—–What does that AGGIE PRIDE slogan mean!!! Not as much Today nor in the future I guarantee you!
    Leaving players with no options and waiting on announcement till after crucial city council meeting on stadium repairs!!! Makes you wonder! Didnt think it was possible but starting to make that old staff look good!! Losers are the players, the Greensboro Community and the Aggie Pride of yesterday and tommorrow! Good luck Coach Love and remaining players—overcome!

  30. Yes, Joel Sanchez….passed over at B-CU….passed over at FAMU…so A&T hires him. I’m still shaking my head at this one.

  31. Gerardo, what an immature statement…aggiebsbllmom is an educated professional who knows baseball and who also knows what the players think…and they DO love Coach Love. I just think the man deserves a chance to prove himself. I already know (from the players) that he is doing things differently as acting head coach than Shumate did.

  32. Coach Sanchez is an outstanding individual. He too has earned his keep. Parents need to support changes in major athletic departments, embrace them and same with kids. Show the example, managers in business are changed all the time today. When their baseball careers are long gone and in the corporate world, change is frequent. At the end of the day, its a team sport. No individual can carry a baseball team. Coach Sancez is Extremely dedicated and doesn’t have to say much to get his point accross. Kind of like Joe Torre. Professional, dedicated, eager to teach and cares about the kids. Yes, they’re still kids. Go NC!

  33. I agree with Mick the Quick… Mr. Sanchez is extremely dedicated and played a big part in the player personnel brought in to BCC… Aggies Baseball mom you keep being negative in all of this and seem to want to keep causing controversy… instead of being positive and trying to help this program go in the right direction, you keep bringing up all this negative vibe… Just let it go and support the program… If you can’t say something good, don’t say nothing at all… Don’t deny that you don’t want the Aggies to win the MEAC… don’t be like those individuals who think playing and participating is enough… think about the saying, “… if winning doesn’t matter, why do they keep score?” I don’t think Mr. Sanchez came over here to go through the motions…

  34. Gerardo,
    I am not being negative, I am simply stating facts…I hope the program DOES go in the right direction. I did state that the hiring process was handled very poorly (and it was), the timing was terrible (and it was) and the team has yet to meet their new coach…we would all like to see the Aggies win the MEAC…but they need a head coach and appropriate funding for asst. coaches to have a chance to do so.

  35. So I hereby nominate you AGGIE Baseball mom to get the ball rolling… to see how you can make a difference… to get the bake sale going, to do whatever it takes to move forward and make up those budget differences… If you are SO involved, then I urge u to go volunteer your talents to the team, to say, “Im here… what can I do to help” Or are we gonna just sit there on the sidelines and criticize? It’s time for a fresh new beginning… maybe the timing is not perfect, but let’s make up for lost time and not look back… peace…

  36. Gerardo,
    I do participate and I am there to support the team and coaches whenever I can be (living out of town and being a working professional), which is most weekends in during the season. We have a great group of parents who support the team and each otehr, but It seems to me more people on this board should support the team by actually showing up at the games.

  37. Good morning Aggie Mom… so what have the players been saying now? What’s the scoop? Since ur one of the insiders.. 🙂

  38. This is what I hear….Sanchez is a great pitching coach, but doesn’t do much with the other players. Pitching is what we have traditionally been weak in though, so we will see. The concern is that he hasn’t established any kind of rapport or relationship with any of the current players, doesn’t even call them by their names. I have tried to give him the benefit of the doubt suggestedthat perhaps he is just quiet or not very outgoing, but so far it hasn’t improved.I have heard that the practices have been long and intense though, which is good. Guess we will just have to wait and see.

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