Following the firing of Reggie Williams after three seasons, Alcorn State has announced a new head baseball coach.
On Thursday, the Braves introduced Carlton Hardy as their new skipper. Hardy previously served 19 seasons at Division II Savannah State University.
“Coach Hardy is a veteran coach who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience and has a strong record of developing and maintaining a successful baseball program,” Alcorn State Athletic Director Robert Raines said. “We look forward to working with Coach Hardy to bring the baseball program back to dominance in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.”
Hardy takes over an Alcorn State program that went 6-43 in 2024 and has not won a SWAC championship since 2011.
Savannah State, under Hardy’s leadership, was one of the top teams in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2024, with a 31-17 overall mark. The team was runner-up for the SIAC championship in 2023 and 2024 after winning the conference in 2022.
About halfway through Hardy’s tenure, Savannah State announced it would be moving all its athletic programs from Division I to Division II, citing financial concerns. Even before the switch, his teams excelled on the diamond with Hardy being named Division I College Baseball Coach of the Year in 2013 after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and advancing to an NCAA regional for the first time in school history.
Prior to Savannah State, Hardy was the head coach at Division III University of Olivet from 1999-2005. Before that, he spearheaded the Talladega College baseball program from its inception in 1997 to 1999, leading the Tornadoes to a sectional championship of the NAIA regional tournament in 1998.
“I would like to thank President Dr. Tracy Cook, Athletic Director Robert Raines, and Deputy Associate Athletic Director (Compliance) E. Dwayne Robinson for the opportunity to become the next head baseball coach at Alcorn State University,” Hardy said. “I am excited for this opportunity to become a member of the athletic department. It is an honor to mentor and lead this program to success and multiple championships. I’m all in. Go Braves!”
As a player, Hardy suited up as a third baseman for Grambling State University before being drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1991. He spent time in the minor leagues before turning his full attention to coaching.
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