Recently hired Miami Dade College athletic director already facing three major hires

Welcome, now get to work …

By Monday, his first day as Miami Dade College’s new athletic director, Mike Balado -- who has no prior experience as an AD or even an assistant – already faced three searches for head coaches to hire.

He will need a coach for men’s soccer as the program is being brought back from a 25-year hiatus. He will also hire a coach for women’s soccer, a program that has never existed at MDC. In addition, Balado has to find a new baseball coach after news leaked that Adrian Morales has apparently bolted to Nova Southeastern University. Balado confirmed Morales’ departure, although there has been no official announcement from either school.

Balado is a basketball coach by trade. He has been coaching for a quarter-century, including the past six years running the program at Arkansas State, leading the Red Wolves to an 82-100 record during that span. Prior to that, he was assistant to Rick Pitino for four years at Louisville.

“(Athletic director) has not been my title (previously), but, everywhere I’ve gone, there has always been administrative work,” Balado said when asked about his new role.

“It’s not like it’s anything new. Instead of managing players, now you are managing coaches.”

Along with Balado, MDC has also hired former MLB pitcher Alex Fernandez as a senior advisor to MDC athletics.

Fernandez, who pitched for MDC and was the MLB Draft’s fourth overall pick in 1990, should provide a huge help to Balado as he picks the Sharks’ new baseball coach.

“He’s a household name,” Balado said of Fernandez, whom he did not truly know personally before this joint hiring. “He brings credibility to a program that has already been very successful.

“It also gives us the opportunity to lean on someone who has a lot of connections. I’m super excited to work with Alex. We’ve been texting a lot, and I know him a lot better now than I did 72 hours ago.”

Balado wouldn’t totally address whether Fernandez would want to coach, but it appears the advisory role is what fits right now.

Either way, it’s quite a challenge facing Balado, and all of it is coming at him right away.

“I knew coming into this position that I would have to hire men’s and women’s soccer coaches,” Balado said. “We’re not going to have soccer until the fall of 2024, so that gives us a good opportunity. to get good candidates.

“But the baseball situation with Adrian going to Nova came out of left field.” Balado said he has been reaching out to his “network” of friends and associates as he conducts these searches. That network includes athletic directors and coaches alike.

For soccer, Balado said it would be a “big bonus” to find a coach who has experience starting what is essentially a new program.

Beyond that, and that includes baseball, Balado wants coaches who are proven winners and who have success as elite recruiters.

Balado said the MDC baseball program will attract top candidates due to its track record of success, including helping to produce standouts such as Mike Piazza, Steve Carlton, Placido Polanco, Mickey Rivers, Bucky Dent, Warren Cromartie, Raul Ibanez and many more.

“It’s about finding the right one,” Balado said of what he expects will be an avalanche of good coaching candidates for baseball. “I’m happy I can put my stamp on (the baseball program).

“We’re excited to bring in three new coaches. Adrian did a great job. He left the program in a good place. Now we want to find the person to take it to the next level.”