Arrington nominated for Coach of the Year
Tom Arrington, San Jacinto College head baseball coach, is the first junior college coach to ever be nominated for the distinct honor of Coach of the Year by the Harris County Houston Sports Authority as a part of the Houston Sports Awards.
Arrington is nominated alongside Astros manager Dusty Baker, University of Houston football head coach Dana Holgorsen, and University of Houston men's head basketball coach Kelvin Sampson. The winner of this prestigious award will be announced during the award ceremony on April 20, 2022, at the Wortham Center.
"What an incredible honor for Tom and the entire San Jacinto College baseball program," said Dr. Allatia Harris, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives at San Jacinto College. "Coach Arrington has a long and storied history here at San Jac, leading us to the national tournament 13 times and producing dozens of Major League Baseball prospects. On behalf of everyone at San Jacinto College, I congratulate Tom on this amazing honor and recognition."
Arrington is entering his 22nd season as San Jac's head coach. In that time, he has led the Gators to 11 National Junior College Athletic Association JUCO World Series appearances, including six appearances in the national title game, culminating as the national runner-up in 2003, 2004, 2010, 2012, 2016, and 2017. His 40 wins and 64 total games at the JUCO World Series is an all-time record. Arrington can also add "Hall of Fame" to his signature, as the veteran coach entered the NJCAA Baseball Hall of Fame in 2018. This past April, he nabbed his 900th career win in a 7-3 victory over Alvin Community College and is now 37 wins shy of 1,000.
Arrington began his coaching career in 1991 at the College of Mateo. Later came stops at San Francisco State University and College of Marin. In 2000, Arrington arrived in Houston as San Jac's assistant coach, where he focused on the pitchers. He was named head coach nearly two seasons later and athletic director for the San Jacinto College North Campus in 2011. The Mill Valley, California, native began his playing career at College of Marin, where he was an all-conference selection. He then played two years at Texas A&M University, where he earned two letters, was all-conference, and was named the Southwest Conference tournament MVP. He also earned the C.E. "Pat" Olsen MVP award. Arrington played professionally for the Triple A team of the Texas Rangers; in Guadalajara, Mexico; for the Salt Lake Trappers; and the Single A farm team of the Montreal Expos.
Additional honors being bestowed at the Houston Sports Awards include Athlete of the Year, College Athlete of the Year, and the Moment of the Year. Legendary broadcaster Bill Worrell will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award, and Texans safety Justin Reid will be honored with the Sportsmanship of the Year award.
About San Jacinto College
Surrounded by monuments of history, evolving industries, maritime enterprises of today, and the space age of tomorrow, San Jacinto College has served the people of East Harris County, Texas, since 1961. San Jacinto College is among the top five community colleges in the nation as designated by the Aspen Institute for Community College Excellence, and was named an Achieving the Dream Leader College of Distinction in 2020. The College spans five campuses serving approximately 41,000 credit and non-credit students annually, and offers more than 200 degrees and certificates across eight major areas of study that put students on a path to transfer to four-year institutions or enter the workforce. San Jacinto College's impact on the region totals $1.3 billion in added income, which supports 13,044 jobs. The College is fiscally sound, holding bond ratings of AA and Aa2 by Standard & Poor's and Moody's.
For more information about San Jacinto College call 281-998-6150, visit sanjac.edu or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
