William & Mary looked to Niagara to fill its opening for a head baseball coach, announcing Rob McCoy as the hire Thursday.
McCoy, who completed 16 seasons as the head coach at Niagara in New York state, led the Purple Eagles to a memorable season in 2024. They won 38 games, shared the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference regular-season championship, won the league tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach McCoy to William & Mary,” W&M athletic director Brian Mann said in a release. “After comprehensive discussions during the process, I am confident that his outstanding coaching ability and his motivational skills will keep our baseball program on track for continued success. He will compete for championships, and he will ensure that our players have a premier student-athlete experience.”
McCoy said in the release, “William & Mary is a phenomenal school with great athletics and academics, and I love being around high performers on the field and in the classroom.”
He replaces Mike McRae, whose contract was not renewed. Over the past three years, the Tribe went 90-74, including 42-39 in the CAA.
McCoy became the first Niagara head coach to be named the MAAC Coach of the Year since 2003. His 299 victories are the most in Purple Eagles history. The 2024 team led the league in batting average (.305), and Niagara’s pitchers held opponents to a .264 average, the MAAC’s lowest.
Before going to Niagara, McCoy was a volunteer coach at James Madison, and his head-coaching stops include Charlottesville High. He played for Dakota Wesleyan, where he captained a conference championship team in 2002, and got a master’s degree from Virginia.
