MONTGOMERY, Ala. ----- Q.V. Lowe, the only head baseball coach the Auburn University at Montgomery program has ever known, has announced his retirement effective July 31, 2014.
Lowe will conclude his tenure with the Warhawks with a 1,063-588-5 record, including 21 seasons with 30 or more wins and 13 years with more than 40 victories. He led AUM to three trips to the NAIA World Series finals and won six conference championships. The Warhawks suffered just two losing seasons, his first two years, during his time at the helm.
"I have been coaching since I was 23 years old," Lowe said. "I still love coaching and everything about it, but I think it is time to move on. I have watched this program grow from the ground up and am incredibly proud of it. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of support from the community, but we were able to get it done and have a lot of fun along the way. AUM is home to me and I hope to be able to stay around and help in any way that I can. I am completely at peace with my decision to retire."
"Through the years, my fondest memories will always be the players," Lowe added. "The fact that they worked hard on the field and in the classroom and now come back to support the program they were a part of is something I will never forget."
Lowe's inaugural team in 1987 struggled, finishing with just an 8-27 mark. However, by his third season at the helm, the Warhawks improved to win nearly 60 percent of their games and did not have another losing season during his tenure.
"I will always remember our first team," said Lowe. "We had a schedule in place when I was hired, but did not have any players. We put a sign on campus and put together a team and did our best to hang with teams like Jacksonville State, Troy and South Alabama. That was a great group of guys who still come back to see me."
In 1990, Lowe helped the Warhawks to the first NAIA World Series appearance in school history, leading AUM to a 40-26 record and an appearance in the National Championship game. During their magical season, the Warhawks earned the District 27 and Area 5 Championships, while Lowe earned District, Area and NAIA Coach of the Year honors.
"We had a chance to recruit some players and ended up playing for a national championship in 1990," Lowe said. "Obviously, that is one of my lasting memories. To see our players excel at such a high level in only our fourth season was really something special."
Two seasons later, the Warhawks were back in the World Series after Lowe guided the team to the first of four seasons in which AUM won 50 or more games. The team finished the 1992 season with a 50-18 overall record. AUM earned its second District and Area Championship, with Lowe selected the Coach of the Year in each, as well as the Diamond National Coach of the Year.
During the next 13 seasons at AUM, the Warhawks won 40 or more games seven times and averaged nearly 42 wins during the stretch. However, Lowe and AUM were unable to return to the World Series. The Warhawks won five conference championships, while Lowe was named the Southern States Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1995, Louisville Slugger Regional Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1998, and the Georgia-Alabama-Carolina Coach of the Year in 2000.
In 2006, the Warhawks won both the SSAC and the Region XIII Championship and earned a third trip to the NAIA World Series, where they advanced to the national quarterfinals.
In 2008, Lowe earned his 1,000th career coaching victory, while in 2009, the Warhawks made an appearance in the NAIA National Tournament Opening Round.
During the 2011 season, Lowe helped the Warhawks to a 42-19 record and a return appearance to the NAIA National Tournament. The skipper helped AUM to a 16-2 record in the extremely competitive West Division of the SSAC and a 30-7 record in its final 37 games. For his accomplishments, he was selected the league's Coach of the Year.
In 2012, AUM posted a 38-24 record and Lowe recorded his 1,000th victory with the program. The Warhawks advanced to within one game of the NAIA World Series and finished with a 21-9 record in the SSAC. During the 2013 campaign, Lowe won his 1,200th collegiate game, a mark which included 179 victories as the head coach at Lurleen B. Wallace Community College.
"I hope I am remembered for my dedication to the program and my commitment to the players," Lowe concluded. "I always worked to develop a great relationship with my players, as well as with my friends within department. I hope I will be remembered for touching the lives of the young men who have come through the AUM baseball program."
Under his leadership, 79 student-athletes have earned all-conference accolades, 40 have garnered all-area or all-region honors and 33 players have been selected NAIA All-Americans. In addition, Lowe has coached more than 25 players who have played in some type of professional baseball league.
Lowe was inducted into the Auburn University Tiger Walk Hall of Fame in 1998 and was inducted into the Alabama Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2005. In 2011, he became the first AUM head coach selected to the NAIA Hall of Fame, while he was also named the 2007 Alabama Baseball Coaches Association College Coach of the Year.
"Q.V Lowe is the face of AUM Baseball," AUM Athletic Director Steve Crotz said. " He is the only head coach the program has known. He built the baseball program from a vacant field to the national competitor it is today. On behalf of Auburn University at Montgomery, I want to thank Q.V. for 28 years of service and commitment to nearly 400 student-athletes. I am also grateful that Q.V. has committed to assist us in the future with our Baseball Capital Improvement Campaign as we work to enhance our baseball facilities. In addition to the multiple accolades that his teams and individual players received during his career, Coach Lowe's focus was always the development of the total person."
