Jim Gilligan is a retired head baseball coach, primarily for the
Lamar Cardinals baseball
The Lamar Cardinals baseball team represents Lamar University and competes in the Southland Conference of the NCAA's Division I after officially rejoining the conference on July 11, 2022. The team is coached by head coach, Will Davis following ...
program.
In his 38 seasons as head coach, Gilligan has guided Lamar's baseball team to 11 conference championships, 13 NCAA regional appearances, and five conference titles. He has been named the
Southland Conference
The Southland Conference, abbreviated as SLC, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the South Central United States (specifically Texas and Louisiana). It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it ...
coach of the year six times during his career and is the 32nd coach in NCAA history to record 1,000 career wins.
Gilligan is an alumnus of Lamar University, having earned a bachelor's degree in 1969 and a master's in 1970.
In between his years at Lamar, Gilligan coached for professional baseball teams. The Gilligan managed 1987
Salt Lake City Trappers broke a 68-year-old record for consecutive wins. The team ended with 29 consecutive wins. The achievement is recognized in the
Baseball Hall of Fame in
Cooperstown, NY. Gilligan's Number 29 jersey is part of a display at the hall of fame.
Recognition and awards
In 2007, Lamar baseball fans and Cardinal Club members started the fund for the Gilligan Scholarship in honor of the coach. Donors said they hope the scholarship continues to grow and leave a permanent legacy in honor of Gilligan. The scholarship will assist members of Lamar's baseball team in attending Lamar.
On June 29, 2010, the Beaumont City Council voted unanimously to rename a section of East Florida Avenue to Jim Gilligan Way. They cited his excellence on and off the field for bestowing this honor.
Coach Gilligan ranks fifth among the NCAA's active coaches in career victories with 1,307, with 1,297 of those being at Lamar. His first 10 came in one season at Western New Mexico. Gilligan achieved his 1,300th career win against the
New Mexico State Aggies on February 13, 2015.
In 2004, Gilligan was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame.
Gilligan has been named Southland Conference Coach of the Year five times
and Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year once.
Head coaching records
The following is a table of Gilligan's yearly records as an NCAA head baseball coach.
See also
*
List of current NCAA Division I baseball coaches
The following is a list of current NCAA Division I baseball coaches. Currently, 297 programs compete at the Division I level in NCAA college baseball. Each program employs a head coach. The longest-tenured head coach is Tony Rossi, who has been ...
*
List of college baseball coaches with 1,100 wins
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilligan, Jim
1946 births
Living people
Baseball coaches from Texas
Baseball players from Texas
People from Bayside, Queens
Lamar Cardinals baseball coaches
Lamar Cardinals baseball players
Western New Mexico Mustangs baseball coaches
Minor league baseball coaches