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Longtime Louisiana baseball coach Tony Robichaux dies at 57

Posted at 3:17 PM, Jul 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-03 17:17:00-04

Louisiana is mourning one of its own after longtime baseball coach Tony Robichaux died Wednesday at age 57.

On June 23, Robichaux had a heart attack and was taken to Lafayette General Hospital, where he underwent open-heart surgery, according to the Acadiana Advocate. He was later moved to Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans, where he underwent another procedure and was listed in critical condition before his death.

With over 1,100 career wins, Robichaux’s list of accolades and accomplishments is as long as it is impressive. He was the head coach for McNeese State for eight seasons before taking over as head coach at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he served as head coach for the past 25 years. During that time, he became the winningest head coach in Louisiana baseball history.

He was named the Sun Belt Coach of the Year four times, the All-Louisiana Coach of the Year six times and the ABCA South Central Region Coach of the Year four times. And under his tenure, he led Louisiana to 12 NCAA Regionals, four NCAA Super Regionals and the 2000 College World Series.

“As we learned this morning of the passing of our beloved friend and colleague, Coach Tony Robichaux, our thoughts and prayers turned immediately to the Robichaux family and the numerous current and former student-athletes that he greatly impacted,” University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletic Director Bryan Maggard said in a statement.

“A man of deep, unwavering faith, integrity and moral character, Tony Robichaux stood for so much more than the game he coached. I will forever be grateful for how he prioritized the development of his student-athletes as outstanding young men first, and baseball players second. Our community will forever benefit from his teachings, philosophies and leadership.”