TAMPA-University of South Florida head baseball coach and reigning BIG EAST Coach of the year Lelo Prado was presented with a proclamation on behalf of the county commissioner Wednesday morning at the Commission's open hall meetings.

With his family in attendance, Prado was presented the proclamation by Hillsbourgh county District 1 commissioner Rose Ferlita, for his outstanding accomplishments on and off of the field.

Ferlita declared August 5, 2009 "Lelo Prado Day" and then congratulated Prado for all he has done to improve the lives of the young men who call him "Coach" and for the acclaim he has brought to his community.

In the declaraction, Ferlita stated that Prado "has made it known that it is his priority as head coach to provide his players with team experiences that produce well-educated men of character" and "that remarkable accomplishments have been recognized far and wide."

Prado, who will enter his fourth season, led the Bulls to an 18-9 conference record en route to finishing second in the conference regular season and was named 2009 BIG EAST Coach of the year .

The Complete Proclamation

WHEREAS, the University of South Florida, which is the Tampa Bay Region's only NCAA Division 1-A institution, provides excellent opportunities to young men and women through its intercollegiate sports, offering the best in academic experience and athletic competition; and

 

WHEREAS, Hillsborough County is known far and wide for producing some of the best baseball playing and coaching talent in the world, from Little League to the Major Leagues to international competition; and

 

WHEREAS, USF's Head Baseball Coach Lelo Prado, born in Cuba and has called this County home since he was three months old, boasts a rich resume of more than two decades of outstanding coaching experiences, including with Hillsborough Community College, the University of Tampa, the U-22 USA National Team, the USA National Team, the Nicaraguan National Team, the University of Louisville, and finally with the USF Bulls; and

 

WHEREAS, during this time, Coach Prado has made it known that it is his priority as head coach to provide his players with team experiences that produce well-educated men of character; and

 

WHEREAS, during the 2008-2009 season, Coach Prado led the Bulls to a 18-9 record in BIG EAST conference play and positioned the Green-and-Gold to a second place conference finish with eighteen wins, the most since joining the BIG EAST and the second most conference wins in program history; and

 

WHEREAS, Coach Prado also guided his USF team to the BIG EAST Conference Tournament every year of the three years he has been with the program, and guided the Bulls to the Number Two Seed in the 2009 BIG EAST Tournament; and

 

WHEREAS, Coach Lelo Prado's remarkable accomplishments have been recognized far and wide, culminating in his most recent honor when he was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year.

 

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED that the Board of County Commissioners of Hillsborough County, Florida, does hereby set aside the date of August 5, 2009, as

 

Coach Lelo Prado day

 

in Hillsborough County, and does congratulate Lelo Prado for all he has done to improve the lives of the young men who call him "Coach" and for the acclaim he has brought to his community.

 

Executed this 5th day of August, 2009.