Tadlock Named Head Baseball Coach
By: TTU Press Release
Updated: June 7, 2012
Texas
Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt has removed the interim tag and
named Tim Tadlock the ninth head baseball coach in school history.
Tadlock
will be formally introduced at a news conference tomorrow at noon
inside the stadium club at Rip Griffin Park. The news conference will
be streamed live on
texastech.com.
"I
am very excited to announce Tim Tadlock as Texas Tech's new baseball
coach," Hocutt said. "Tim has prepared himself for this tremendous
opportunity and honor to
lead our baseball program. As one of the nation's most respected
recruiters and coaches he has demonstrated the ability to attract, teach
and win at the highest level. There are great days ahead for Texas Tech
baseball."
Tadlock,
who was named the interim head coach on May 21, becomes the ninth head
coach to lead the Tech baseball program and follows Dan Spencer who
spent four years
as head coach. Tadlock joined the program as associate head coach in
the fall of 2011 and spent one season under Spencer in 2012.
"I
am very proud and honored to have been given this great opportunity to
lead the Texas Tech baseball program," Tadlock said. "I appreciate the
commitment that the
Texas Tech administration has given to me. We will honor the legacy at
Texas Tech and we are looking forward to hitting the ground running."
Regarded
as one of the top recruiters in the country, Tadlock produced several
of the nation's top recruiting classes at Oklahoma while helping lead
the Sooners back
to the College World Series in 2010, the Sooners first trip to Omaha
since 1995.
Tadlock
worked with the Red Raider defense during the 2012 season where they
finished with a .971 fielding percentage, which ranks second all-time at
Texas Tech. The
Red Raiders also ranked second in the league in batting average (.292)
and led the Big 12 in doubles (117) and triples (24).
He
helped mentor three Red Raiders who all ranked among the top 12 hitters
in the Big 12 Conference, while second baseman Jamodrick McGruder
(.358) was third, catcher
Bo Altobelli (.346) was eighth and Barrett Barnes (.325) was 12th.
McGruder, one of Tadlock's top offensive threats, led the Big 12 in 10
offensive statistical categories.
In
addition, five of Tech's position players earned All-Big 12 recognition
during Tadlock's first season at Tech, including McGruder (first team),
Barnes (first team),
first baseman Scott LeJeune (second team), Altobelli (honorable mention)
and shortstop Tim Proudfoot (All-Freshman Team).
It
didn't take Tadlock long to make his mark on the recruiting trail at
Oklahoma, as his 2006 recruiting class ranked fourth nationally by
Collegiate Baseball Newspaper.
The No. 4 ranking was the best for the Sooners since 1987.
Tadlock
also had top-25 nationally ranked recruiting classes by Baseball
America in 2006 (11th), 2009 (16th), 2010 (21st) and 2012 (13th). In
addition, OU's 2012 recruiting
class received a No. 4 ranking this fall by Collegiate Baseball
Newspaper.
During
his tenure at Oklahoma (2006-2011), the Sooners made five trips to the
NCAA Tournament with two Super Regional appearances in 2006 and 2010
while making it
back to the College World Series in Omaha in 2010. It marked OU's first
time to make five post-season appearances in a six year span since
1987-1992. The Sooners had unparalleled success at the plate under
Tadlock's guidance. Oklahoma batted over .300 during
all six of his seasons - first time for OU since 1995-2000 - and his
2009 and 2010 clubs combined for 195 home runs, the most ever at
Oklahoma in consecutive seasons while leading the Big 12 in homers both
years. The Sooners 104 home runs in 2010 rank second
all-time in Oklahoma history.
While
an assistant at Oklahoma, Tadlock mentored 41 players who were selected
in the Major League Baseball First Year Players Draft. In 2011 the
Sooners had 11 players
taken in the draft which tied an all-time Big 12 record (Texas, 2007).
In fact, during three of Tadlock's six years with the Sooners at least
nine players were taken in the draft.
After
beginning his college coaching career as an assistant at Hill College
for four seasons, Tadlock became the head coach at Grayson County Junior
College, where
he led the Vikings to back-to-back National Junior College Athletic
Association World Series titles in 1999 and 2000. During his nine
seasons at Grayson, Tadlock posted a 435-127 (.774) overall record while
being named National Coach of the Year following both
title runs (1999-2000).
Overall,
Tadlock guided the Grayson program to five championships along with
five District V championships and while eight Vikings earned All-America
honors during
his tenure as head coach.
The
Red Raiders benefited from six players that transferred to Tech from
Tadlock's program at Grayson while he was head coach. Included in those
student-athletes are
Texas Tech All-American shortstop Cameron Blair (2004-05) and former
Major League catcher Trey Lunsford (1999-00).
During
his tenure at Grayson (1997-2005), Tadlock recorded the highest winning
percentage of any collegiate baseball coach, including all two and
four-year institutions,
with a .774 winning percentage. While at Grayson, Tadlock also served as
the school's director of athletics, a position he began in August 2000.
After
a prep career at Denton High School and two years at Hill College,
Tadlock was a two-year starting shortstop for the Red Raiders while
helping Texas Tech to
its first-ever 40-win season as a senior in 1991 (42-18).
In
his two-year career at Tech, Tadlock played in 120 games, batted .289
(120-for-415) with 96 runs scored, 19 doubles, four triples, eight home
runs, 68 RBI, 71 walks,
65 strikeouts and was 28-of-41 in stolen bases. Tadlock played for
legendary coach Larry Hays while at Texas Tech.
Tadlock
graduated with his bachelor's degree in physical education from Texas
Tech in May 1992. He also earned a master's degree in education in
August 1994 from the
University of Texas at Tyler.
Tadlock and his wife, Kelly, have two children, daughter, Chloe (11 - April 10), and son, Benjamin (8 - Aug 4).
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