Baylor Bears Hire Darin Thomas as Director of Operations

WACO, Texas – Baylor baseball head coach Mitch Thompson announced Tuesday the addition of director of baseball operations Darin Thomas to his staff.

After 15 years as the head coach at UT Arlington and seven previous seasons as an assistant with the Mavericks, Thomas heads south to Waco to join the Bears in an off-the-field role.

“I am extremely excited to add Darin Thomas to our staff,” Thompson said. “I’ve known D.T. for nearly 30 years. He has a fantastic baseball mind with unrivaled experience in the game. He will serve our program in so many ways, knowing exactly how to do every part of this role. His love and care for the game of baseball, his prior success running a Division I program and his character are unmatched, making him a fantastic fit for our staff. We are truly blessed to have him joining us here at Baylor.”

Over his 15-year tenure at the helm of UTA, Thomas accumulated 404 career wins and three conference tournament championships in 2001, 2006 and 2012. In his 22 total seasons in Arlington, 41 Mavs players were drafted or signed with MLB teams. Thomas also guided 59 players to all-conference selections, including 22 first-team picks, while racking up seven 30-win seasons.

“I’ve known Mitch for a long time, so I am very excited to be joining his staff at Baylor,” Thomas said. “I really appreciate the opportunity and I’m eager to help in any capacity. I couldn’t be more excited to join the Baylor Family and can’t wait to get started.”

Prior to joining UTA in 2001, Thomas spent nine years as an assistant coach at Seward County Community College, where he assisted NJCAA Hall of Fame Coach Galen McSpadden. While there, Thomas helped lead the Saints to a 346-144 (.706) record while being ranked in the top-20 nationally during seven seasons. SCCC captured four Jayhawk West Conference crowns, four runner-up finishes and one Sub-Region VI Tournament title.

During his time at Seward County, Thomas spent four summers as the head coach with the collegiate summer league Liberal Bee Jays of the Jayhawk League.

Thomas began his collegiate playing career at Seward County, where he earned All-Conference and All-Region VI honors as a right-handed pitcher in 1986. He helped lead his team to a Jayhawk West Conference title and to the program’s first Sub-Region VI Tournament championship by going 11-1 on the mound.

He then moved on to play at Oklahoma Christian University, where he was a three-time first-team All-Sooner Athletic Conference selection for the Eagles.

Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and physical education from Oklahoma Christian University in 1989 and a master’s degree in sports administration from Fort Hays State University in 1996. He began his coaching career in 1990 at Oklahoma Christian High School before moving to Seward County CC in 1991.

Thomas and his wife, Jean, have three children, Megan, Ryan and Reed.

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