Bethune-Cookman rewarded back-to-back SWAC Baseball Coach of the Year Johnny Hernandez with a new contract after topping the conference’s regular-season standings this spring.
Hernandez agreed to a four-year extension, the university announced June 18. The 41-year-old Miami native has a 214-213 record across seven seasons in charge of the Wildcats, the second-most wins in program history behind Mervyl Melendez (379).
B-CU has topped the 30-win mark in each of the past four campaigns, including a 38-20 mark in 2026.
“It’s been a great experience,” Hernandez said in a phone interview. “Seeing where the program is now from where we took over in 2018, I think we’re heading in the right direction. The last couple years have been really good for us. I’m excited to continue to build on the tradition of our baseball program at this prestigious university.”
In a statement, B-CU Vice President of Athletics Reggie Theus said: “Coach Hernandez has done an outstanding job building our baseball program into a consistent conference contender while developing student-athletes on and off the field. His leadership, vision and commitment to a championship culture have elevated Bethune-Cookman baseball, and we are excited to continue that momentum with him leading our program through 2030.”
Though he was linked to the vacancy at Florida International, Hernandez told The News-Journal he did not interview for the position, eventually filled by former Chicago White Sox manager Pedro Grifol. He was contacted, however, by Nebraska-Omaha, which hired Western Kentucky assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Rob Fournier on June 1.
In the 2026 season, B-CU went 38-20 overall with a 23-7 mark in conference play. The Wildcats scored a pair of midweek victories on the road against nationally ranked opponents, taking down LSU 10-7 on April 7 and Florida 13-7 one week later.
However, eighth-seeded Arkansas-Pine Bluff stunned the Wildcats twice during the SWAC Tournament and denied them a return trip to regionals. Alabama State eventually won the double-elimination event, prevailing against Florida A&M in the final, and earned the conference’s automatic NCAA Tournament bid.
“When you win one championship, that’s tough to do. When you try to go back-to-back, that’s even harder,” Hernandez said. “You take a couple weeks to put things into perspective, and we had a really good year, one that continues to sustain the approach and trajectory of our baseball program.”
B-CU produced the SWAC’s Player of the Year (Jose Fernandez) and its Pitcher of the Year (Edwin Sanchez). The Wildcats had five All-SWAC first-team selections and three second-team picks.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Bethune-Cookman baseball coach signs 4-year contract extension
Reporting by Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
