The University of Oregon and baseball head coach George Horton have mutually agreed to not exercise his 2020 option. In 11 years as head coach for Oregon, the Ducks put up a 373-278-1 record, making the regional round of the NCAA Tournament four times and the Super Regional round once in 2012.
The Ducks last made the Regional Round in 2015, but have been rather middling around in the Pac-12 since. This season Oregon went 27-29, finishing the season 5-16 over its last 21 games and ending in ninth place of the Pac-12.
Horton was hired in 2007 to lead an Oregon program that was dropped after a 16-21 season in 1981. Although he went just 13-40 in 2009, his first season in the dugout, he took the Ducks to the Regional round of the NCAA Tournament with a 40-24 record in 2010.
“With much thought and deliberation with my family, I feel it is the right time for me to step away as the head baseball coach at the University of Oregon,” said Horton in a press release. “My time in Eugene will always be cherished, and I will forever be a Duck. I am very thankful for the opportunity that was given to me by the University to start this program from scratch. I wish my successor, the current student-athletes, fans and administration nothing but the best moving forward. I look forward to being able to spend more time with my family in Southern California and to new opportunities and challenges.”
Horton had been a college head coach for 28 seasons and holds a 1,089-541-2 record. Forty-eight Ducks have been drafted under Horton and that number will most likely increase next week with the MLB Draft being June 3. Seven Ducks have earned All-America honors as well. Prior to Oregon, Horton coached at Cal State Fullerton where he won the 2004 College World Series and made the CWS five other times.
“On behalf of the University of Oregon, I want to thank George for leading Oregon baseball with distinction for the last 11 seasons and for laying the foundation for future success,” said Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens through the press release. “George had a positive impact on both our baseball student-athletes and on the University itself, and this sure-fire Hall of Famer has been a tremendous ambassador for the school and for the game of baseball. We wish him and his family all of the best moving forward.”
The Ducks will begin looking for a new head coach with associate head coach Jay Uhlman assuming “day-to-day operations of the program until a new head coach is named.”
Follow Maverick Pallack on Twitter @mavpallack
