The leave of head coach A.J. Miller ’11 comes three months after he received a three-year contract extension. (Photo by Hannah Ally for GoLeopards)

Lafayette College’s head baseball coach was placed on paid leave for a four-game stretch mid-season, according to the college’s athletics department.

Head coach A.J Miller ‘11 sat out from team activity — a March 18 contest with La Salle University and a three-game homestand against Army West Point — before returning for the team’s matchup with Monmouth University on March 24. Ryan Luke, the team’s hitting coach and recruiting coordinator, took over the Leopards as interim head coach in his absence.

Sherryta Freeman, the college’s athletics director, wrote in an email that the circumstances revolved around a “personnel matter.” She did not respond to further requests for comment.

Junior infielder and captain Matt Colella wrote in a message that the team was “not allowed to communicate with Coach Miller,” and that the team did not have any information on his absence.

Miller’s paid leave was on the heels of a three-year contract extension in December, in which he also hired assistant coach Colin Houck. Both Miller and Houck did not respond to requests for comment.

The college saw regional attention in 2023 when head basketball coach Mike Jordan was placed on administrative leave — and later fired — following a complaint filed by an athlete about Jordan’s conduct. His firing initiated a federal lawsuit later that year, which was settled in June 2024.

The athletics division did not respond to inquiries on whether Miller’s absence stemmed from a complaint.

Without Miller, the baseball team managed a 5-3 win over La Salle but dropped all three games in its weekend series against Army. The team posts a 7-17 record overall and 3-6 in Patriot League play.