Howard McCullough loved baseball so much that he made a successful career out of the sport.And along the way, his contributions to Louisburg College baseball has led to him to become an honoree in the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. He will be inducted on Oct. 16.
McCullough, a long-time professional scout, was a diamond star at Rocky Mount High School before graduating in 1972. He decided to stay close to home to begin his college career at Louisburg College under Russ Frazier.
During his two years at LC, McCullough was a standout who claimed the school’s Moon Award in 1974 as the Most Outstanding Student-Athlete.
After receiving his associate’s degree from Louisburg, McCullough played two years at East Carolina where he was an All-Southern Conference pick in 1975.
Wanting to remain involved with the sport after graduating, McCullough planned well by earning a bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education and a master’s in Education from ECU.
McCullough spent four years in the Granville County Schools system as a teacher, coach and Athletic Director before he accepted assistant coaching position with the University of North Carolina — where he would stay from 1982-85.
McCullough then got involved with scouting, working as an area scout for the Boston Red Sox for 10 seasons.
Beginning in 1996, McCullough accepted a position with the Arizona Diamondbacks as an area scout and East Coast/Southeast Supervisor. McCullough was with the organization when the Diamondbacks won the World Series in 2001. Four years later, the Diamondbacks honored McCullough with their Scout of the Year Award. That same season, McCullough was tabbed as the Professional Baseball Representatives Scout of the Year.
Other superlatives that McCullough has received include Mid Atlantic Scouts Association Hall of Fame (2007), Goldklang/Topps Baseball Hall of Fame (2009) and the Raleigh Hot Stove League’s Willie Duke Lifetime Achievement Award (2010).
McCullough and his wife, Eva, reside in Greenville. Their son, Clayton, has followed in Howard’s baseball footsteps — he is currently a manager for the Class A Dunedin Blue Jays in the Florida State League.
- Geoff Neville
