Dave Van Horn
 Van Horn participating in an interview during the 2012 College World Series | |
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head Coach |
| Team | Arkansas |
| Conference | Southeastern Conference |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | September 17, 1960. Fullerton, CA |
| Playing career | |
| Position(s) | Infield |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 1056-501 (24 seasons) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 2004 SEC, 2001 Big 12, 1995 and 1997 Southland Conference, 1994 Division II National Champion, 1992 Texas Eastern Conference | |
| Awards | |
| SEC Coach of the Year: 2004
Baseball America National Coach of the Year: 2001 Big 12 Coach of the Year: 2001 ABCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year: 2000, 2001 Southland Coach of the Year: 1995, 1997 NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year: 1994 ABCA Central Region Coach of the Year: 1994 All-Southwest Conference, infielder, 1982 Southwest Conference Newcomer of the Year, 1982 | |
Dave Van Horn (born September 17, 1960) is an American college baseball coach, the head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks baseball team. He has been the head coach since June 2002 when he replaced Norm DeBriyn.
As of the 2014 season, Coach Van Horn holds a record of 471-261 (.643) as coach of the Razorbacks, and a career record of 1056-501 (.678) in his 24 seasons of head coaching.[1]
Playing career
Dave Van Horn played baseball at McLennan Community College in Texas for two years, earning all-conference and all-region honors as a freshman, while helping the Highlanders finish third in the NJCAA College World Series. His next season brought more individual and team success, as the team finished eighth in the nation and Van Horn earning All American and Region 5 Player of the Year accolades. Turning down the Chicago White Sox, who drafted him, he transferred to Arkansas for the 1982 season.
As a Razorback, Van Horn would earn All-Southwest Conference and SWC Newcomer of the Year awards for his performance. He was also recognized as team MVP. The Atlanta Braves selected van Horn in the 10th round, where he would spend his next three years in the minor leagues.
Family
Coach Van Horn met his wife, the former Karen Lee, while serving as a graduate assistant at Arkansas. The couple have two daughters, Hollan and Mariel.
Alma mater
- Arkansas, 1988
- Masters of Science, East Texas State University (in Commerce, Texas), 1992
Team accomplishments
Dave Van Horn's teams have had plenty of success, reaching the College World Series five times, three occurring at Arkansas (2004, 2009, 2012), the other two during his tenure at Nebraska (2001 and 2002). As a graduate assistant at Arkansas he has reached the CWS twice more, in 1985 and 1987. Coach Van Horn has also led 14 straight teams to the postseason NCAA tournament, from 1999–present.
Arkansas reached the SEC Tournament every year under Van Horn as head coach from 2003–2007 and again in 2009. The 2008 team did not qualify for the SEC Tournament but qualified for the NCAA Tournament.[2]
2009
Arkansas went 34-22 in 2009, and set University records for single-game attendance (11,434) total season attendance, (269,216) and actual attendance (173,946). Despite beating #1 Arizona State twice, the Hogs faltered at the end of the season, losing their final eight SEC games.
2009 College World Series
Arkansas returned to Omaha in 2009. The team won the Norman regional by knocking off top-eight seed Oklahoma. The Hogs next defeated Florida State twice at Dick Howser Stadium to punch their ticket to the College World Series. The Razorbacks were not expected to do well at the Series, but defeated the favored Cal State Fullerton Titans. Next the Hogs were defeated by LSU, but staved off elimination the next day by beating Virginia in twelve innings. The Hogs were eliminated by eventual national champion LSU in game 11.
2012
Arkansas went 46-22 in 2012, which was the most wins in the Van Horn era and the most for a Razorback team since 1990, but limped into the postseason at the Houston Regional having lost both games it played at the SEC Tournament. Once it got in, it defeated Rice and then defeated Baylor at the Waco Regional to advance to the College World Series.
2012 College World Series
Arkansas won its first game in Omaha, defeating Kent State 8-1. The Razorbacks then ended South Carolina's 22-game postseason win streak with a 2-1 victory. The Gamecocks got them back though, winning 2-0 and 3-2 in the next two games to advance to the final, only to lose to upstart Arizona in the best-of-three championship series.
Head coaching record
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern State Demons (Southland Conference) (1995–1997) | |||||||||
| 1995 | Northwestern State | 37–15 | 19–5 | 1st | |||||
| 1996 | Northwestern State | 34–27 | 14–16 | 2nd (Louisiana) | |||||
| 1997 | Northwestern State | 35–23 | 19–9 | 1st (Louisiana) | |||||
| Northwestern State: | 106–65 | 52–30 | |||||||
| Nebraska Cornhuskers (Big 12 Conference) (1998–2002) | |||||||||
| 1998 | Nebraska | 24–20 | 10–13 | 7th | |||||
| 1999 | Nebraska | 42–18 | 16–9 | 5th | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2000 | Nebraska | 51–17 | 21–9 | 2nd | NCAA Super Regional | ||||
| 2001 | Nebraska | 50–16 | 20–8 | 1st | College World Series | ||||
| 2002 | Nebraska | 47–21 | 16–11 | T–2nd | College World Series | ||||
| Nebraska: | 214–94 | 67–39 | |||||||
| Arkansas Razorbacks (Southeastern Conference) (2003–present) | |||||||||
| 2003 | Arkansas | 35–22 | 14–16 | T–5th (West) | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2004 | Arkansas | 45–24 | 19–11 | 1st (West) | College World Series | ||||
| 2005 | Arkansas | 39–22 | 13–17 | T–5th (West) | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2006 | Arkansas | 39–21 | 18–12 | 2nd (West) | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2007 | Arkansas | 43–21 | 18–12 | 1st (West) | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2008 | Arkansas | 34–24 | 14–15 | 4th (West) | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2009 | Arkansas | 41–24 | 14–15 | 4th (West) | College World Series | ||||
| 2010 | Arkansas | 43–21 | 18–12 | 2nd (West) | NCAA Super Regional | ||||
| 2011 | Arkansas | 40–22 | 15–15 | 1st (West) | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2012 | Arkansas | 46–22 | 16–14 | T–2nd (West) | College World Series | ||||
| 2013 | Arkansas | 39–22 | 18–11 | 2nd (West) | NCAA Regional | ||||
| 2014 | Arkansas | 27-16 | 9-9 | ||||||
| Arkansas: | 471–261 | 184–158 | |||||||
| Total: | 791–420 | ||||||||
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National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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