Darin Thomas has taken the UT Arlington baseball program to new heights since taking over as head coach in 2008 after serving seven years as an assistant. The program has continued to grow under Thomas' watch, which includes back-to-back conference championships from 2012-13.
The Mavericks have won nearly 400 games in Thomas' tenure, including 153 from the 2016 to 2021 seasons. UT Arlington reached its seventh 30-win season in twelve years, all under Thomas, and the 25th in program history with a 32-26 mark in 2019
With a veteran-laden group in 2021, Thomas led the Mavericks to a semi-finals appearance in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament held in Montgomery, Alabama, falling to eventual SBC Champion South Alabama in a hard-fought game that came down to the final inning. The Mavericks were led by three All-Conference selections - Carlos Tavera (1st Team Starting Pitcher), Dylan Paul (2nd Team First Base), and Andrew Miller (2nd Team Utility). Tavera had an historic year for the Mavericks, striking out a program-record 117 batters which led the Sun Belt and was the 25th most in the NCAA. Tavera also tossed the first nine innings of an 11-inning no-hitter - the first in 38 years for the Mavericks. The team set program-best marks in strikeouts (485) and fielding percentage (.972), while finishing with the 6th most home runs (47).
The 2020 season was cut short for Thomas and the Mavericks due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, but UTA was able to make their mark at the national stage in the 16 games played. The Mavs were off to their best start since 2001, opening the season with a 12-4 record. In the final week of the season, UTA received an RPI of 4, the highest in program history. The defeated the 18th ranked team twice (Dallas Baptist and TCU). The Mavs defense was stout and finished 6th in the nation in double plays (19) and 18th in ERA (2.42).Â
Despite injuries to multiple key players in 2019, Thomas had the Mavericks competing for a chance at a Sun Belt Conference Regular Season title in the last weekend of the season. The Mavs earned up the No. 4 seed in the Sun Belt Tournament, defeating host and eventual SBC Tournament Champion
UTA earned a trip to the 2012 NCAA Regionals as the Southland Conference Tournament champions. The Mavericks followed that up by sharing the 2013 Western Athletic Conference regular-season championship in the school's only year in the league. UTA also played for the Sun Belt Championship in 2014, its first season in the conference.
UT Arlington has traditionally played a daunting schedule littered with regional powers such as Texas, Texas A&M, Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, in addition to ranked teams from around the country. The Mavericks own 12 wins over top-10 teams since Thomas joined the program in 2001.
Thomas' guidance plus UT Arlington's challenging schedule has helped prepare players for the next level. Since Thomas' arrival at UT Arlington, 38 players have been either drafted or signed with Major League teams. The summer of 2014 featured a record-breaking six players taken in MLB Draft with three being chosen in the top 10 rounds.
In addition, out of the 11 UTA players who have played in the Major Leagues, Thomas has coached eight: Daniel Ortmeier (2000-02), Ryan Roberts (2002-03), Mark Lowe (2002 & 2004), Hunter Pence (2003-04), Adam Moore (2006), Dillon Gee (2005-07), Michael Choice (2008-10), and Joe Kuhnel (20015-16).
Thomas has coached 59 all-conference performers (22 first-team selections), 29 Conference All-Tournament team selections, three SLC Tournament Most Valuable Players, three SLC Players of the Year, three SLC Hitters of the Year, two SLC Newcomers of the Year, four SLC Batting Champions, one SLC Freshman of the Year and one SLC ERA champion since taking over the program in 2008.
The Mavs earned five all-conference selections under Thomas in 2016, the most among all schools in the league that season. It was the most all-conference selections for the Mavs since the team had five All-Southland Conference selections in 2009, and the first time UTA has had five selections to land on the first or second team since 2003.
Thomas' squads have also had unparalleled success in the classroom. Baseball student-athletes have finished with a cumulative GPA of 3.04 in 10 semesters since Thomas became head coach during the 2007-08 academic year.
PRIOR TO UTA
Prior to joining UTA in 2001, Thomas spent nine years as an assistant coach at Seward County Community College, where he assisted National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Hall of Fame Coach Galen McSpadden.
While at SCCC, Thomas helped lead the Saints to a 346-144 (.706) record while being ranked in the Top 20 nationally during seven seasons. Seward County 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, where he worked with late UT Arlington coach Clay Gould for three summers.
PLAYING CAREER
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-ever 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.
PERSONAL
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.
THE THOMAS FILE
Experience
UTA (2008-Present) – Head Coach
UTA (2001-2007) – Assistant Coach
Liberal Bee Jays (1997-2000) – Head Coach
Seward County Community College (1991-2000) – Assistant Coach
Oklahoma Christian High School (1990) – Head Coach
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Playing Career
Oklahoma Christian University (1987-89)
Seward County Community College (1986)
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Education
Fort Hays State University: Master’s in Sports Administration (1996)
Oklahoma Christian University: Bachelor’s in Marketing and Physical Education (1989)
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Personal
Wife: Jean
Children: Megan, Ryan and Reed
THOMAS ALL-TIME ACCOLADES
| Career Record |
389-375 (.509) in 14Â seasons |
| Sun Belt Regular Season Record |
218-177 (.552) in 43 seasons |
| Sun Belt Tournament Appearances (last) |
7 (2021) |
| Sun Belt Tournament Record |
9-11Â (.450) |
| Sun Belt First-Team Selections |
6 -Carlos Tavera (2021) Omar Salinas (2017), Brady Cox (2016), Darien McLemore (2016), Matt Shortall (2014), Ryan Bottger (2014) |
| Sun Belt Second-Team Selections |
12 – Dylan Paul (2021), Andrew Miller (2021), Andrew Gross (2019), Jakob Hernandez (2017), Daniel James (2017), Will Olson (2017), Trae Patterson (2017), Kadon Simmons (2016), Quintin Rohrbaugh (2016), Colton Turner (2016), Levi Scott (2015), Travis Sibley (2015) |
| Sun Belt Coach Of the Year |
1 - 2017 |
| WAC First Team Selections |
1 – Matt Shortall (2013) |
| WAC Second Team Selections |
2 – Brad Vachon (2013), Greg McCall (2013) |
| Southland Conference First Team Selections |
6 – Preston Beck (2012), Michael Choice (2009, 2010), Matt Otteman (2009), Andrew Kainer (2009), Nathan Long (2009) |
| Southland Conference Second Team Selections |
6 – Lance Day (2012), Ryan Walker (2012), Brian Nephew (2011), Chad Comer (2010), Jason Mitchell (2010), Michael Choice (2008) |
| Southland Conference Third Team Selections |
3 – Chad Comer (2011), Ryan Robinson (2009), Danny Slinkman (2008) |
| Southland Conference Player of the Year |
1 – Michael Choice (2010) |
| Southland Conference Hitter of the Year |
1 – Michael Choice (2010) |
| Southland Conference Tournament MVP |
1 – Travis Sibley (2012) |
| Southland Conference Freshman of the Year |
1 – Michael Choice |
| Southland Conference Batting Champion |
2 – Michael Choice (2012), Matt Otteman (2009) |
THOMAS YEAR-BY-YEAR HEAD COLLEGIATE COACHING RECORD
| Year |
School |
Overall Record |
Conference Record (Finish) |
Conference Tournament |
Postseason |
| 2008 |
UTA |
26-31 |
16-14 (6th, Southland) |
0-1 |
--- |
| 2009 |
UTA |
30-26 |
19-13 (5th, Southland) |
0-2 |
--- |
| 2010 |
UTA |
29-31 |
19-14 (5th, Southland) |
2-2 |
--- |
| 2011 |
UTA |
27-29 |
15-18 (9th, Southland) |
--- |
--- |
| 2012 |
UTA |
36-25 |
19-14 (4th, Southland) |
4-0 |
0-2, NCAA Waco Regional |
| 2013 |
UTA |
31-27 |
18-9 (1st, WAC) |
1-2 |
--- |
| 2014 |
UTA |
33-26 |
22-12 (2nd, SBC) |
3-1 |
-- |
| 2015 |
UTA |
24-32 |
14-16 (7th, SBC) |
1-2 |
-- |
| 2016 |
UTA |
30-28 |
15-15 (7th, SBC) |
1-2 |
-- |
| 2017 |
UTA |
30-25 |
20-10 (3rd SBC; 1st West Division) |
0-1 |
-- |
| 2018 |
UTA |
22-35 |
11-19 (8th SBC; 4th West Division) |
1-2 |
-- |
| 2019 |
UTA |
32-26 |
17-12 (4th SBC; 3rd West Division) |
1-2 |
-- |
| 2020* |
UTA |
12-4 |
0-0 |
No Postseason |
No Postseason |
| 2021 |
UTA |
27-30 |
13-11 (4th SBC, 2nd West Division) |
2-1 (Semifinals) |
-- |
| CAREER TOTAL |
14 Seasons |
389-375Â (.509) |
218-177 (.552) |
16-18 (.471) |
0-2 (.000) |
*2020 Ended Early Due To Worldwide Coronavirus Pandemic
