Mike Fox will now forever be immortalized as a college baseball legend.

The former Diamond Heels head coach, who won 1,487 games and appeared in seven Men’s College World Series in his 37 years in the dugout with both North Carolina Wesleyan and UNC, was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame on Friday.

“From MLB All-Stars to College World Series legends, the 2024 College Baseball Hall of Fame class includes some of the most decorated players and coaches in the history of college baseball,” said Craig Ramsey, chair of the College Baseball Foundation Board of Trustees. “It is only fitting, as we prepare for another exciting season of college baseball, we take an opportunity to honor those who have contributed to the storied history of our extraordinary game.”

Also included in the Hall’s Class of 2024 are Texas’ Roger Clemens, Georgia Tech’s Mark Teixeira and Ohio’s Mike Schmidt.

A Carolina alumnus, Fox played for the Diamond Heels from 1976 through 1978, helping UNC reach the 1978 Men’s College World Series and being named to the All-Tournament Team in the process. His first head coaching job came at North Carolina Wesleyan, where he stayed from 1983 through 1998. He led the team to eight Division III College World Series appearances and won the 1989 Division III national championship.

Fox’s alma mater hired him in May of 1998, and he quickly orchestrated a renaissance of Carolina baseball. The Diamond Heels made it back to Omaha for the first time in 17 years in 2006, coming within a game of the national title. UNC reached the national championship series again in 2007 and returned to Omaha in 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2018. Fox was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2018 and National Coach of the Year in 2008.

Fox retired in 2020, having won 948 games in 22 seasons in Chapel Hill. He is by far the winningest coach in program history, and the Diamond Heels retired his No. 30 jersey in 2022. It’s the only time that honor has been extended to a former head coach.

Fox and the rest of the class will be officially enshrined in a special ceremony on February 13, 2025 in Overland Park, KS. To see the rest of the class, click here.

 

Featured image via Dakota Moyer


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