Tim Montez - Baseball Coach

Tim Montez

Title:
Baseball Assistant Coach

Tim Montez enters his third season at Fresno State as Mike Batesole[apos]s top assistant. His primary duties include the roles of pitching coach and recruiting coordinator. Montez was instrumental in assembling the staff[apos]s first recruiting class that was ranked No. 16 by Collegiate Baseball and included consensus All-American Richie Robnett and Freshman All-Americans Christian Vitters and Nick Moresi. The 2005 class, ranked No. 17 by Collegiate Baseball features more players that should prosper in the program. Under his tutelage, Cody Smith and Matt Garza have earned All-WAC honors while Smith (Texas Rangers, 2003) and David Griffin (Cincinnati Reds, 2004) inked professional contracts.

Montez came to Fresno State after spending five seasons as an assistant at the University of Arkansas under ACBA Hall of Fame head coach Norm DeBriyn.

In his five years at Arkansas, Montez built a reputation for recruiting some of the top pitchers in the country, evident by the Razorbacks[apos] steady improvement in team ERA during his tenure. Arkansas[apos] ERA nearly dropped a full run in his first season, going from a school record 6.20 to 5.28 in 1998. It dipped to 5.12 in 1999 as he guided the pitching staff to a school-record 22 conference victories en route to Razorbacks[apos] first SEC overall and Western Division titles. The team[apos]s ERA continued its steady decline in 2001 as the staff recorded a 4.65 ERA, finishing one game short of advancing to the College World Series

In addition to the Razorbacks[apos] team accomplishments under Montez, the team[apos]s pitchers flourished individually. Montez helped David Walling develop into one of the best pitchers to wear a Razorback uniform before the New York Yankees took him with the 27th overall selection in the first round of the June 1999 Amateur Draft.

Under Montez[apos] direction, each of Arkansas[apos] recruiting classes from 1998-01 was ranked among the top 25 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball. Montez has been part of successful programs throughout his playing and coaching careers. Prior to joining Arkansas, he served for one season as the pitching coach at Cal State Northridge under Mike Batesole. The Matadors compiled a 42-20 record in 1999, thanks in large part to a pair of 11-game winners in Benny Flores and Erasmo Ramirez.

A native of Southern California who grew up in Whittier, Montez has always been one step ahead of the game, especially in his coaching career. During a redshirt season at Pepperdine, he found time to coach Esperanza High School to the playoffs with a sparkling 1.86 ERA. Montez[apos] coaching talents were recognized by then Pepperdine coach Andy Lopez, who brought Montez to the Malibu, Calif., campus. Montez directed the Waves[apos] pitching staff from 1989-90 and helped Pepperdine post a 78-42-1 record over that two-year period, including a conference title. His staff was two-time ERA leaders in the West Coast Conference while guiding the Waves to a NCAA West Regional appearance in 1989. Pepperdine boasted the conference pitcher of the year in both seasons along with two freshmen All-Americans.

Montez returned to the high school baseball circuit in 1991 as an assistant coach at Montclair Prep High School in Van Nuys, Calif., where he coached Anaheim Angels designated hitter Brad Fullmer and Atlanta Braves right-hander Russ Ortiz. There, he helped mold one of the top prep squads in California, capturing a state championship in 1991. Montclair amassed a 59-12 record in the three seasons of Montez[apos]s tenure.

In 1994, Montez returned to the collegiate ranks as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at UC Santa Barbara. He helped lead the Gauchos to the NCAA West Regional in 1996 and signed one of the top recruiting classes (1995-96) that included 2004 American League All-Star Michael Young (Texas Rangers) and 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner Barry Zito (Oakland Athletics).

A four-year letterwinner at Pepperdine, Montez posted a 19-11 record on the mound while collecting three saves and helped the Waves to a Southern California Baseball Association championship his senior year. He earned all-conference recognition after tallying a 6-3 record and a career-best 2.80 ERA his sophomore season.

Montez was a first-round draft pick of the Mexican League[apos]s Mexico City Reds. He played two seasons before returning to the United State to begin coaching.

Montez was born Feb. 11, 1961, in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Julia Marie, have three sons, David (17), Ryan (12) and Adam (3).