..:: coaches::..

Head Coach

Tom Arrington

Age:
42

Hometown:
Mill Valley, CA.

High School:
Redwood,

All-conference,

All-state

College:
College of Marin, all-conference;

Texas A&M University, earned two varsity Letters as a pitcher, all-conference, SWC tournament most valuable player, C. E. "Pat" Olsen MVP;

Master degree from San Francisco State University

Professional Baseball:
Texas Rangers (Omaha City AAA) Guadalajara Mexico;

Salt Lake City Trappers (A);

Montreal Expos (Burlington, Iowa A)

College Coaching Career:
Texas A&M University student assistant, 1987

College of San Mateo pitching coach, 1991

San Francisco State University pitching coach, 1992 and 1993

College of Marin pitching coach, 1994-1996

College of Marin head coach, 1997–1999

San Jacinto College North Career:
Assistant coach, 2000;

Head coach, 2001–present

Record: 265-99

Family:
Arrington and his wife Marya are parents to son Alden, 7, and daughter Anya Lily, 4.

TOM ARRINGTON: Head Coach

With four trips in five seasons to the NJCAA World Series, San Jacinto College head baseball coach Tom Arrington has asserted himself as one of the game's top leaders.

Since taking over just prior to the 2002 season, Arrington has put together an overall record of 265-99. Add the four trips to the JUCO series, and Arrington has done himself proud alongside the names of Wayne Graham and Chris Rupp, two men who preceded Arrington as head coach.

Graham won five national titles from 1985-1990, and while the team hasn’t come back from Grand Junction, Colorado with the winner's trophy since then, San Jacinto still rates as one of the nation's top programs.

"We do have a great tradition here at San Jacinto", Arrington said. "We take the approach that winning is extremely important. Wayne and Chris did a great job before me, and I’m trying to continue the legacy. We identify getting to Grand Junction as being the ultimate indicator of how successful our season is. Once you get there you have to have the talent to win but also some luck along the way. Maybe our day is coming this season."

Arrington once pitched in the Southwest Conference for Texas A&M University and went on to compete at the Class AAA level in the Montreal Expos and Texas Rangers organizations. He began his coaching career in 1991 at the College of Mateo and found himself on the campus at San Jacinto College prior to the 2001 season. A season later, he was named the Gators' third-ever head coach.

As a former pitcher, Arrington obviously spends quite a bit of time with the team’s hurlers but is constantly in tune with what the team needs.

"We certainly don't measure ourselves against other opponents or identify a true rival," Arrington said. "On a day-to-day basis we're working on getting ourselves better. You're going to make some mistakes along the course of a season. For instance, last year we got off to a slow start and were 13-13 at one point. We knew things would come around and they did. It’s because we knew what we had to get better at doing, and we did it."

Arrington is surrounded by top assistant Jimmy Durham, who handles much of the recruiting efforts, as well as bullpen coach Alan Orgain, catching assistant Kory Koehler as well as outfield coach and first base coach D.J. Wilson, the senior member of the staff who’s now in his 11th season. For Arrington, the group provides him with confidence the team is getting the leadership it needs to be successful.

“It’s still about helping these players get to the next level,” Arrington said. “Right now we have Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte in the big leagues from the 1980s and 1990s and pitchers Jesse Crain, Mike Gonzalez and Matt Albers more recently. There are also 18 others in the minor leagues right now. I think we have done a pretty good job here.