Jim Dietz
James Clyde Dietz
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 6' 0", Weight 170 lb.
- School Oregon State University, Southern Oregon College
- High School Eugene High School
- Born July 31, 1938 in Eugene, OR USA
- Died March 27, 2022 in Florence, OR USA
Biographical Information[edit]
Jim Dietz coached San Diego State University for 31 years. He was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002. He won over 1,150 games, putting him among the all-time leaders in NCAA Division I. He was the 10th Division I coach to 1,000 wins.
In 1959, Dietz was a NAIA All-American infielder. He played for the Detroit Tigers organization in 1961, going 18 for 69 (.261) and fielding .926 at second base for the Jamestown Tigers
He became a coach with Lowell High School in 1963. From 1965-1968, he coached Pleasant Hill High School, guiding them to the 1968 Oregon state title.
From 1968-1971, he was freshman baseball and basketball coach at the University of Oregon.
Dietz was head coach at San Diego State from 1972-2002. His 1984 team won 66 games, most in the country. He was named Western Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 1986 and 1994.
He helped develop Tony Gwynn (his successor as head coach), Mark Grace, Bud Black, Mark Williamson, Chris Gwynn and Travis Lee.
He managed the Alaska Goldpanners for 15 years over three seperate tenures, (1971-77, 1990-93 and 2009-12) leading his team to four National Baseball Congress World Series titles. In that role, he worked with Dave Winfield and Mark McGwire. He has also managed the Anchorage Glacier Pilots (1982-83) and most recently the Peninsula Oilers (2017). In all he managed for 18 years in the Alaska Baseball League. In 1980 Dietz managed the Boulder Collegians. In what would be the final year for the Collegians, he led them to a 64-12 record and third place at the NBC World Series. That final Boulder club featured furture major leaguers Mark Langston, Mickey Tettleton, Spike Owen, Bobby Meacham and Joe Carter.
His son, Steve Dietz, played professionally in the 1990s.
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