Sunny Golloway is the head baseball coach at NCAA Division II Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma.[1] His most recent stint as head baseball coach of an NCAA Division I institution was at Auburn. He was fired September 27, 2015. He succeeded coach John Pawlowski. Golloway was hired by Auburn University on June 14, 2013.[2] Prior to becoming the head coach of Auburn, he was the head coach at Oklahoma.

Sunny Golloway
Golloway with Oklahoma in 2013
Current position
TitleHead Coach
TeamNortheastern State University
ConferenceMid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
Record20-30
Biographical details
BornSpringfield, Missouri, U.S.
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1992–1995Oklahoma (Asst.)
1996–2003Oral Roberts
2004–2005Oklahoma (Asst.)
2005–2013Oklahoma
2014–2015Auburn
2020–2022Moore High School (OK)
2023East Central
2024-presentNortheastern State University
Head coaching record
Overall743–387–1
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Mid-Continent Conference (1998–2003)
Big 12 Conference tournament (2013)
Records
4x MCC Coach of the Year (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002)

Coaching career

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Oral Roberts

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Golloway took over the Oral Roberts University baseball program in 1996 and saw their transition from a Division I Independent to a member of the Mid-Continent Conference in 1998. During his time with the university, the baseball team participated in NCAA Regionals from 1998 to 2003. Also during that same stretch, the Golden Eagles won the Mid-Continent Conference regular season and tournament championships. Golloway was also voted by his coaching peers as the Conference Coach of the Year in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2002. He compiled a 335–156 (.682) total record while with Oral Roberts and averaged 42 wins per season.[2]

Oklahoma

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Golloway returned to the University of Oklahoma in 2004 as an assistant, but he was named interim head coach for the Sooners during the 2005 season and eventually was named permanent head coach. Golloway and the Sooners made it to the NCAA tournament in all but one of his nine seasons, with 2007 being the exception. The Sooners also made it to the Super Regional round of play in 2006. In 2010, the Sooners made it the College World Series for the first time since 1995 and defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks in the opening round. However, losses to Clemson and South Carolina in later rounds eliminated the Sooners. Golloway and the Sooners returned to the Super Regionals in 2012 and 2013, and they won the 2013 Big 12 Conference tournament title, which was only the second one in school history. During his time at Oklahoma, Golloway compiled a total record of 346–181–1 and a record of 116–97–1 in conference play. In his eight full seasons as head coach, Golloway averaged 41.75 wins per season.[2]

Auburn

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Auburn University from the Southeastern Conference hired Golloway after the 2013 season to take over their baseball program. His team went 28–28 (10–20 SEC) during the 2014 season, finishing 13th in the 14-team Southeastern Conference and missing the SEC Tournament. His 2015 team finished ninth in the SEC at 36–26 overall (13–17 SEC) and earned a bid to the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.

He was fired on September 27, 2015, and Auburn denied him the $1.25 million buyout due under his contract, claiming the firing was for cause. Golloway sued for wrongful termination and, after being cleared of any NCAA rules violations, he and Auburn reached a settlement in January 2018.[3]

OK Instructs

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After leaving Auburn, Golloway operated OK Instructs, a baseball academy, with Oklahoma native Mickey Tettleton.[3]

Moore High School

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On May 31, 2019, Moore High School in Moore, Oklahoma announced that it was hiring Golloway as a history teacher and head baseball coach.[3]

East Central University

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East Central University of the Division II Great American Conference announced the hiring of Golloway on May 25, 2022.[4]

Northeastern State University

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Northeastern State University of the Division II Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced the hiring of Golloway on July 27, 2023.[1]

Head coaching record

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Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (Independent) (1996–1997)
1996 Oral Roberts 32–24
1997 Oral Roberts 26–30
Oral Roberts Golden Eagles (Mid-Continent Conference) (1998–2003)
1998 Oral Roberts 45–20 18–6 1st NCAA Regional
1999 Oral Roberts 46–15 14–4 1st NCAA Regional
2000 Oral Roberts 49–15 26–1 1st NCAA Regional
2001 Oral Roberts 48–13 24–1 1st NCAA Regional
2002 Oral Roberts 48–19 16–2 1st NCAA Regional
2003 Oral Roberts 41–20 19–1 1st NCAA Regional
Oral Roberts: 335–156 (.682) 117–15 (.886)
Oklahoma Sooners (Big 12 Conference) (2005–2013)
2005 Oklahoma 12–6[a] 7–2 5th NCAA Regional
2006 Oklahoma 45–22 17–10 3rd NCAA Super Regional
2007 Oklahoma 34–24 11–16 7th
2008 Oklahoma 36–26–1 9–17–1 8th NCAA Regional
2009 Oklahoma 43–20 17–10 2nd NCAA Regional
2010 Oklahoma 50–18 15–10 2nd College World Series
2011 Oklahoma 41–19 14–11 3rd NCAA Regional
2012 Oklahoma 42–25 13–10 4th NCAA Super Regional
2013 Oklahoma 43–21 13–11 3rd NCAA Super Regional
Oklahoma: 346–181–1 (.656) 116–97–1 (.544)
Auburn Tigers (Southeastern Conference) (2014–2015)
2014 Auburn 28–28 10–20 7th (West)
2015 Auburn 36–26 13–17 5th (West) NCAA Regional
Auburn: 64–54 (.542) 23–37 (.383)
East Central Tigers (Great American Conference) (2023–present)
2023 East Central 9–40 4–29 12th
East Central: 9–40 (.184) 4–29 (.121)
Northeastern State RiverHawks (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association) (2024–present)
2024 Northeastern State 20–30 11-22 9th
Northeastern State: 20–40 (.333) 11–22 (.333)
Total: 764–461–1 (.624)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Personal

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Golloway is of Hawaiian heritage. Born in Springfield, Missouri, he grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma, and graduated from Stillwater High School in 1979. He attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Junior College in Miami, Oklahoma, for one year before transferring to Oklahoma Christian College where he received his bachelor's degree in business in 1984. He has also done graduate work at the University of Central Oklahoma and the University of Oklahoma.

Golloway's wife Charlotte passed away in 2021 after a battle with cancer. She is survived by their three children: Sunni Kate, Taylor, and Callen.

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Golloway served as the interim head coach of Oklahoma for part of the 2005 season.

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sunny Golloway named NSU head baseball coach". Northeastern State University Athletics. Retrieved June 9, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Crepea, James (June 15, 2013). "Auburn Hires Oklahoma's Sunny Golloway as Baseball Coach". USAToday.com. USA Today Sports. Archived from the original on June 16, 2013. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c Palmateer, Tyler (May 31, 2019). "High school baseball: Sunny Golloway will coach baseball, teach history at Moore". Norman Transcript. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  4. ^ "Sunny Golloway Named ECU Head Baseball Coach". East Central University Athletics. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
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