Nov. 30, 2006
WACO, Texas -- Baylor baseball assistant coach Mitch Thompson was named American Baseball Coaches Association/Baseball America National Assistant Coach of Year, the publication announced Thursday. This is the award's eighth year.
In his 13th season at Baylor, Thompson joined the Bears' staff with head coach Steve Smith in the latter's first year at Baylor. Thompson oversees recruiting for Baylor and helped the Bears land Baseball America's top-ranked signing class in 2006. Baylor's signing classes have ranked in the top 25 nationally six times in the last eight years.
Thompson, a 1988 graduate of Fort Hays State, also serves as Baylor's hitting coach. During Thompson's time on staff, Baylor has established team season records in virtually every statistical category. Thompson's hitters also have established nearly every individual season and career record in the Bears' records book.
Previous winners of the ABCA/Baseball America National Assistant Coach of the Year Award were Bob Wojick (2005, Eastern Connecticut State), Dave Serrano (2004, Cal State Fullerton), Jim Lawler (2003, Texas A&M), Jim Toman (2002, South Carolina), Brian O'Connor (2001, Notre Dame), Tim Corbin (2000, Clemson) and Dean Stotz (1999, Stanford).
Four of the previous seven winners have since taken head coaching jobs - Serrano at UC Irvine, Lawler at Arkansas-Little Rock, O'Connor at Virginia and Corbin at Vanderbilt.
Baylor opens its 2007 season Feb. 9-11 at the Astros Minute Maid Park College Classic in Houston.
