Fernandes Retires After 31 Years at CU

Many fans of the Light Blue may be skeptical when considering an individual’s devotion to the Athletic Department. Chances are, most members of the public have never dedicated 31 years of their lives to the success and achievements of one school. After serving as Columbia’s head baseball coach for 23 seasons, along with his position as Associate Athletics Director, to say that Paul Fernandes bleeds light blue is truly an understatement.

Starting as the head coach of the Lions in 1977 and ending his coaching career in 2005, Fernandes has announced that he will retire from Columbia athletics after accumulating as many as 346 wins, none of which he is willing to forget.

“The thing I already miss without baseball is the competition and the daily interaction with the players,” Fernandes explained. “I love to compete to see if we can be a better team than our opponent. Seeing your players develop as athletes and men day in and day out is why you become a coach, teacher and educator.”

A role model to all his athletes, Fernandes remembers his accomplishments fondly, with memories of individual and team satisfaction, constantly urging his men to be better players, better competitors, and better people. Former players Gene Larkin and Frank Seminara are just a few who were lucky enough to share in his remarkable career as the second Columbia player to make it to the minor leagues and the second Columbia player to make it in the major league—respectively.

“It was just as exciting to me because both young men were realizing a boyhood dream, and I could share a small piece of it with them,” Fernandes said.

Now, after over three decades of pouring both heart and sweat into an institution that never really could let him go, Paul Fernandes has made his decision to retire.

“There comes a time in everyone’s career when it seems like the right thing to do and the right time to do it,” he said. “I’ve been so fortunate in my career to have been able to spend 31 years at one of the finest institutions in the world.”

Behind University President Lee Bollinger’s belief that athletics should be considered co-curricular, Fernandes’s impact onto the Columbia community has gone anything but unnoticed. With years of experience behind him, the time and commitment that he has given to Columbia doesn’t even suffice to completely show the effect of his goodwill on friends and athletes.

“I wanted to show them the right way to act as a contributing member of society,” he said. “I wanted them to be positive, to be honest, caring and hardworking. The game may seem important at the moment, but it’s the relationships you form with your teammates that will last you a lifetime.”

As the summer approaches, you may find Fernandes more eager than others to fully indulge in a much-needed vacation after 40 years of summertime commitment. Still, it’s hard for Fernandes to shake baseball fever from his routine. During his vacation, he plans to head down to Florida to watch spring training, after which he said he wants to spend some time giving back to the community.

“I’d like to do some volunteer work,” Fernandes said. “Raising money for my alma mater, Cortland, helping underprivileged kids in some capacity, and volunteering at organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.”

In leaving the school after such an influential career, Fernandes can now contemplate just how he would like to be remembered throughout the University.

“My feeling has always been to leave a little early, not a little late,” he said. “I wanted to be able to come back, feel good about coming back, and be a fan of the Lions for years to come.”

With a career many coaches and advisers could only hope to achieve, Paul Fernandes will be forever remembered in the Columbia community.