Dan Firova Returns to Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos as 2027 Manager

Dan Firova is returning to the Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos as manager for the 2027 Liga Mexicana de Beisbol season. The club confirmed his appointment on October 23, bringing a veteran with three Mexican League championships back to the organization where he began his managerial career more than three decades ago.

Firova, 70, signed his agreement at Uni-Trade Stadium alongside club president Chara Mansur. The move follows a difficult 2026 season in which the binational Tecos finished 36-57, ninth in the North Division, after reaching the playoffs in each of the previous four seasons.

A return to where his managerial career began

Firova’s relationship with the franchise predates his time in the dugout. The Texas native first played for Tecolotes de Nuevo Laredo in the early 1980s while developing as a catcher in the Seattle Mariners organization. He later served on the Tecos coaching staff before taking his first managerial job with the club in 1993.

That first season ended with a trip to the Mexican League championship series against the Olmecas de Tabasco. Firova also managed the franchise in 1994 and 2008, and now returns for another attempt at taking the cross-border club to the top.

In the team’s announcement, Firova recalled that the Tecolotes gave him his first opportunity to manage and expressed hope that the 2027 campaign can resemble his initial run to the finals. His experience extends across numerous Mexican League clubs, including three championships with the Tigres de México in 1997, 2000 and 2001.

He has also worked at Major League level. Firova coached with the Washington Nationals under Dusty Baker in 2016 and 2017, later rejoining Baker’s staff with the Houston Astros. He was part of Houston’s 2022 World Series-winning coaching staff and worked with Nicaragua at the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

What Firova inherits in Dos Laredos

The Tecos have already begun reshaping their roster for 2027 after a season that broke a run of four consecutive playoff appearances. Firova succeeds Mendy López, who took over during the 2026 season and subsequently left for a role with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Rather than promising one fixed playing style, Firova told the club that his approach will depend on the personnel available, the opposing pitcher and the ballpark. He described a willingness to use speed, power or small-ball tactics according to what gives his team the best chance to win.

That flexibility will matter for a franchise that plays across the United States–Mexico border and is trying to regain its position among the contenders in the LMB North. For Firova, the assignment is also personal: more than 30 years after reaching a final in his first season as a manager, he is back with the team that gave him that opportunity.