Former FAMU baseball Coach Costa “Pop” Kittles will be inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame Class of 2025.
Kittles was a two-sport star for the FAMU Rattlers in the late 1940s and 1950s, excelling in both football and baseball. He earned All-America honors as a football player in 1950 and was a standout catcher for the baseball team. After his playing days, Kittles returned to FAMU in 1952 as an assistant football coach and physical education instructor. His dedication to FAMU Athletics spanned four decades, where he coached football with Jake Gaither and Rudy Hubbard.
In 1960, Kittles took the helm as head coach for the FAMU baseball program, while also holding down duties as an assistant football coach, leading the Rattlers to their first of seven consecutive Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) titles, accumulating a total of eight SIAC championships under his guidance. A notable win for the Rattlers during Kittles' tenure came in 1981, when his team secured a thrilling 2-1 victory over the University of Miami on a walk-off home run by catcher Albert Goode in the bottom of the ninth inning. Kittles' leadership also saw the Rattlers participate in six NAIA district playoffs, reaching the NAIA World Series in 1962.
Kittles amassed an impressive win-loss record of 401-128 (.758 winning percentage) before retiring in 1982. His coaching prowess extended beyond wins, as he played a key role in developing nineteen players who went on to be signed or drafted by professional baseball teams.
Among his former players are baseball greats like Hal McRae, Andre Dawson, and Vince Coleman. Additionally, Kittles nurtured the talent of the late William "Bill" Lucas, who became the first African American executive in Major League Baseball history while working for the Atlanta Braves.
Following his coaching career, Kittles continued his service to FAMU by serving as an assistant professor in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation until 1995. Kittles' dedication to FAMU was further solidified in 1982 with his induction into the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame. In 1999, the university's baseball field was renamed Moore-Kittles Field in honor of Kittles and his college coach, Dr. Oscar Moore.
Kittles, who passed away in 2003, left a lasting legacy. He and his wife, Emma, established the Costa Kittles Endowed Athletic and Physical Education Scholarship at FAMU to support students pursuing studies in physical education and athletics. Their philanthropic efforts extended beyond FAMU with the establishment of the Emma and Costa Kittles Scholarship in Human Sciences endowment at Florida State University.