Roger Cador, the longtime Southern University baseball coach who built one of the nation's premier HBCU programs, has died after battling brain cancer. He was 74.
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Southern University announced Cador's death Tuesday.
A former baseball and basketball player for the Jaguars, Cador returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach before taking over the baseball program in 1985. He spent the next 33 seasons leading Southern, compiling a 913-597-1 record while winning 14 conference championships and guiding the Jaguars to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances.
One of the defining moments of his coaching career came in 1987, when Southern defeated nationally ranked Cal State Fullerton 1-0 in the NCAA Tournament, becoming the first historically Black college or university to win an NCAA baseball tournament game.
Cador coached 10 All-Americans and 62 Major League Baseball draft picks during his tenure, including 2003 Golden Spikes Award winner Rickie Weeks.
His contributions to the sport earned him induction into the Southwestern Athletic Conference Hall of Fame in 2018 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame the following year.
Before beginning his coaching career, Cador starred at Southern, leading the Jaguars with a .393 batting average in 1972 before being selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 1973 MLB Draft. He spent five seasons in the Braves organization before returning to Southern.
Southern athletic director Roman Banks remembered Cador as "a visionary, a mentor, a leader and a true pillar of the Jaguar Nation," adding that his impact on the university and HBCU baseball would be felt for generations.
Beyond his success on the field, Cador was widely recognized as an ambassador for HBCU baseball and for his efforts to develop student-athletes and support charitable causes throughout the Baton Rouge community.
