When the University of Oregon announced the reinstatement of their baseball program in July 2007, the reaction among Duck supporters and baseball fans in the community was one of resounding excitement and anticipation. That level of emotion shot through the roof when former College World Series championship skipper and two-time National Coach of the Year George Horton was announced as Oregon's new head coach on Sept. 1, 2007.
Horton, who spent 11 seasons at the helm of national power Cal State Fullerton and led the Titans to the 2004 National Championship, is the Ducks' 12th baseball coach in school history and it's first since the program was discontinued following the 1981 season.
During his tenure with the Titans, Horton compiled an overall record of 490-212-1 (.698) and oversaw six appearances in the College World Series, including back-to-back berths in 2006 and 2007 as well as 2003 and 2004. He was named National Coach of the Year by Baseball America in 2003, and garnered the ABCA and Collegiate Baseball National awards following his squad's title run in 2004.
Horton was also a five-time Big West Conference Coach of the Year, most recently earning the hardware in 2006 on the heels of his third 50-win season at the Division I level.
The 55-year-old Cal State Fullerton graduate spent six years as an assistant coach at his alma mater under legendary college baseball coach Augie Garrido before succeeding him in 1997. Horton was the current Texas skipper's associate head coach, helping CSF to the 1995 National Championship. Prior to joining Garrido's staff, Horton spent six years as the head coach at Cerritos College, compiling a junior college record of 226-53 (.810) from 1985-90.
Horton's teams have reached a No. 1 ranking in national polls in part(s) of the 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 seasons. His .698 winning percentage ranks in the top 10 among active Division I coaches (minimum five years). Of the 29 teams Horton has faced five or more times - many of which are nationally prominent - only two (Stanford and Wichita State) have managed winning records against him.
In 1994, Horton was inducted into the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He also was inducted into the Downey High School Hall of Fame in May of 2003 and was honored in 2005 with the Orange County Manager of the Year Award, given by the Orange Coast Chapter of the Society for Advancement of Management.
Horton earned his bachelor's degree from Cal State Fullerton in 1978 and a master's from Cal Lutheran in 1980.