Contact: Jack Bailey (304) 766-4109 jbaile19@wvstateu.edu
Sept. 4, 2013 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
INSTITUTE, W.Va. – West Virginia State University (WVSU) Athletic Director and Assistant Baseball Coach Sean Loyd has been named the Head Coach in Waiting and will take over the reins of the Yellow Jackets following the retirement of long-time Coach Cal Bailey after the 2014 season.
WVSU President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., made the announcement today.
“Sean is a long-time, dedicated member of the State family. He has served his alma mater with pride under his mentor and close friend, Coach Bailey,” President Hemphill said. “Since my arrival on campus, I have been impressed with his ability to lead the University’s athletics department and foster relationships on campus and throughout the community. His impact on State has been significant and I am confident that he will continue to make positive and lasting contributions both on and off the field.”
A native of Sutton, Loyd has been an Assistant Baseball Coach at WVSU since 1994 and has served since 2008 as the school’s Athletic Director, a position he will continue in.
“I’m excited. I love West Virginia State,” said Loyd. “It’s been my home away from home since I first set foot on campus, and the fact that Cal has confidence in me and that President Hemphill has faith in me is very gratifying.”
Bailey said earlier this year that 2014 would be his last season as the head coach of the Yellow Jackets. He finished the 2013 season with more than 1,000 career victories, one of only seven coaches in NCAA Division II history to win that many games.
“It will be a smooth transition,” Bailey said of his long-time assistant succeeding him. “Sean is well respected by his peers and is a tireless worker and great recruiter both in West Virginia and outside the state. He realizes that baseball is not just about technical skills, but there is a mental aspect that is a necessary part of the game.”
Loyd came to Institute first as a player for Bailey, and then as an assistant when a position opened up on his staff. Even though he still had a year of playing eligibility left, Loyd jumped at the chance to become part of Bailey’s staff.
“He had faith in me early,” Loyd said. “He said when I started, ‘You are going to be the hitting coach and the third base coach,’ and there’s been no looking back.”
Loyd has played a vital role in the Yellow Jackets’ success. During his time as the hitting coach, 46 WVSU hitters have been selected to the All-Conference team, including eight who were honored as conference Hitter of the Year and 11 have been named All-Americans.
A total of six Yellow Jacket hitters have been selected in the Major League Baseball draft.
As a team, the Yellow Jackets have led the nation in batting average three times as well as in home runs, slugging percentage and scoring with Loyd as batting coach. That has helped WVSU become synonymous with winning as the Yellow Jackets have captured nine conference championships and made two NCAA Division II World Series appearances with Loyd as part of the coaching staff.
Along the way, Loyd has gained the respect of his peers resulting in him twice being selected to serve on the NCAA Regional Advisory Committee and being elected President of the West Virginia Baseball Coaches’ Association.
He is a 1990 graduate of Braxton County High School where he lettered in baseball, football, and basketball before leaving to play baseball at West Virginia State.
In 1995 Loyd graduated from WVSU and went on to obtain his master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Marshall University.
Loyd is married to the former Megan Redifer, also a former Yellow Jacket athlete. They have three children, Abigail, 12, Madelyn, 9, and Evelyn, 6.