Kansas City, MO - The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced Larry Mahoney from Hope International (Calif.) as the Rawlings-NAIA Coach of the Year after the Royals won the 2024 NAIA Baseball World Series in June. This marks the second consecutive year a team from the Golden State Athletic Conference won the Red Banner. Earlier Mahoney was named the NAIA Ball Coach of the Year and the ABCA/ATEC NAIA Coach of the Year.

Mahoney was promoted to head coach of the HIU baseball program in 2021 after serving six seasons as the associate head coach and returned the Royals to the Avista NAIA World Series for only the second time in program history (2017, 2024). On May 25th, the Royals captured their first ever win at the World Series after losing their first game and starting 0-3 historically in World Series history. The team would go on to win five more elimination games to win the championship a feat that hadn't been performed since 2006. The Royals became the fifth team and fourth school in World Series history to lose their first game and go on to win the Championship joining LC State in 1984 and 2006, Bellevue in 1995, LC and West Liberty State in 1964. The Royals outscored their opponents 65-31 and their 14-6 Championship victory over Tennessee Wesleyan was the largest margin of victory in a Championship game since 2000.

Beginning the year ranked 11th, the Royals fell to 20th in the first Coaches' Top 25 Rating of the spring season after starting the season 12-9. The Royals then answered strong going on a program record 19-game winning streak to achieve their highest ranking of eighth in the fifth rating of the season before settling at 10th in the Final Coaches Poll on May 10th. The Royals would go on to win the GSAC Regular Season Championship and earn an at-large bid into the NAIA Opening Round as the top seed in the Fayette Bracket. The Royals started the opening round strong defeating Northwestern Ohio and Central Methodist before falling to Tabor to force an extra game. Coach Mahoney then guided the Royals to their second Opening Round Championship as they took down Tabor 9-3 in the final game. The Royals were one of two teams to lose a game and go on to win their opening round series.

The NAIA National Coach of the Year is voted on by the NAIA-Baseball Coaches Association (BCA) Executive Committee and NAIA-BCA Past Presidents. To be eligible, a head coach must be selected as their conference or unaffiliated group coach of the year, or lead their team to the Avista-NAIA Baseball World Series.