Pitching coach resigns
USF coach Lelo Prado opened a search Wednesday to replace pitching coach Lazer Collazo, who resigned Tuesday after four seasons with the Bulls.
Collazo’s resignation marks the team’s second coaching change in less than a week, as Prado hired former USF player Chris Heintz on Sunday as the new hitting coach after Bryant Ward took a job last week as hitting coach at Loyola Marymount in California.
Collazo, 46, cited family reasons for his departure, and is expected to move back to Miami, his hometown.
“It’s been 26 years that it’s always been about me. It’s time to dedicate time to my wife and kids,” he said to the St. Petersburg Times on Wednesday.
Under Collazo, the Bulls led the Big East with 207 strikeouts in conference play last season.
The Bulls new pitching coach should have a lot to work with next season if juniors Randy Fontanez and Andrew Barbosa each return for their senior seasons instead of signing pro contracts. Both starters were among the conference leaders in ERA and strikeouts last season.
“He did a good job for us. We wish him and his family the best of luck,” Prado said to the Times. “We have a lot of guys who will miss him. Lazer brought a lot of energy to the team, but it’s over and we have to move on.”
More Stories
USF welcomes Dylan Sprouse to talk about early career, future projects: ‘Just try it’
Actor Dylan Sprouse knows he had a lasting effect on an entire generation of fans. “I always got the cooler side of it because there weren’t many people trying to be mean to me,” Sprouse said. “I just think people see me as their cousin, you know?” The Marshall Student Center Ballroom (MSC) was filled […]
Thank you to Oracle readers and supporters
Dear reader: In April, we told you of The Oracle’s challenges as we transition to a fully-digital paper – from budget cuts to a lack of updated technology. We asked for your help and you stepped up. Through your contributions, we raised over $800 just one month after announcing our new fund with the USF […]
Florida’s ‘Stop Woke’ law could endanger USF students’ education, professors say
Elizabeth Aranda has been educating students on Latino history for over two decades. Aranda, a USF sociology professor, said she wouldn’t be able to do her job if Florida’s “Stop Woke” law were put into effect. “Imagine you are an orchestra conductor but you’re missing every third page of the musical score,” Aranda said. “There […]
USF’s decision to replace ‘cultural icon’ Pollo Tropical is disappointing, students say
Upon arriving in Tampa, junior criminology major Ana Hernandez said she felt a certain culture shock. Hernandez, who moved from Venezuela to Miami as a child, found it hard to find familiar food as often as she did in Miami, where the Hispanic community is bigger. USF’s on-campus Pollo Tropical, located just a brief walk […]
New USF residential hall at the Sarasota-Manatee campus to open in August
USF Sarasota-Manatee will open its first residential hall in late August, joining Tampa and St. Pete as a residential campus. With a $43.95 million price tag, the new building will serve as both a student center and residential hall. It will open on Aug. 23, the Friday before fall classes begin. The dorm will allow […]
USF professors discuss 2024 primary: ‘Do not skip this election’
The clock is ticking with less than a month left to register by July 22 for this year’s primary election. With critical races like local school boards and Senate on the line, USF professors are urging students to make their voices heard this election season. Judithanne Scourfield McLauchlan is a political science professor and the […]