Former Washington State catcher and minor league manager Jim Horner completed his third season as the Cougars assistant coach, working the outfielders, catchers and hitters. Horner, a first-team All-Pacific-10 catcher for the Cougars in 1996, returned to the Palouse after managing the Seattle Mariners Double-A affiliate Jackson Generals (Tenn.) for the 2014 season and the first half of the 2015 campaign.
Horner saw the 2018 Cougars hit the most home runs since 2010 and emerge as one of the best defensive teams in the Pac-12 Conference. WSU produced the second-best fielding percentage in program history (.977) while the catchers threw out 15 base runners including Cal Waterman’s 12, fifth-most in the Pac-12 Conference. Horner also guided a pair of Cougar sluggers to double-digit home runs (Justin Harrer – 11, Blake Clanton – 10), WSU’s first set of teammates each with double-digit homers since 2008. Harrer was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates while Clanton earned All-Pac-12 honorable mention.
In 2017, WSU upped their win total from a season ago highlighted by a stretch that saw Washington State claim four straight Pac-12 Conference series, a first since 1995. The Cougars, with a lineup featuring six first-year players most of the season, recorded their highest batting average, scored the most runs and hit the most home runs since 2013 while posting the fourth-most doubles (105) in the Pac-12, the most by a Cougar team since 2012. Three position players earned All-Pac-12 Conference honors led by third baseman Shane Matheny’s selection to the All-Pac-12 team who was later among the three Cougars selected in the MLB Draft.
In 2016, his first season back in the dugout with the Cougars, Horner helped the WSU offense improve from the season prior in batting average, runs scored and home runs while finishing second in the Pac-12 Conference in stolen bases. Horner also saw second baseman Trek Stemp earn All-Pac-12 honors after posting the fourth-best batting average in the conference at .355 and was selected in the Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.
Horner owns seven-plus years of managerial experience, serving as the skipper of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Seattle – Low-A) from 2006-07 before managing the High Desert Mavericks (Seattle - High-A) from 2008-10 and 2013. In 2009, he was named California League Manager of the Year and Seattle Mariners Staff Member of the Year after guiding the Mavericks to South Division first and second half titles and earning a spot in the championship series.
From 2011-12, Horner coached two seasons at Texas Tech University serving as the Red Raiders’ hitting coach under then head coach Dan Spencer who was also hired by Lees as the Cougars’ associate head coach. In 2012, Horner helped Texas Tech finish second in the Big 12 in batting average (.292), second in slugging percentage (.418), second in doubles (117) and ranked 12th in the nation with a conference-best 24 triples. That season, the Red Raiders were the only team in the league to have three of the top 10 hitters in the Big 12 led by second baseman Jamodrick McGruder (.358) who went on to earn All-America honors and was named a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy. In his two seasons at Texas Tech, seven position players were taken in the Major League Baseball Draft highlighted by first-round pick Barret Barnes who was taken No. 45 by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2012.
Horner began his managerial career with the Class-A Wisconsin Timber Rattlers for two seasons before moving to High Desert. He began coaching in 2005 as the hitting coach with the short-season Everett AquaSox.
Horner joined the coaching ranks immediately after completing a nine-year professional playing career, all with the Mariners' organization. He was a catcher in the Seattle farm system from 1996 to 2004. In 2000, Horner reached the Triple-A level with the Tacoma Rainiers. He was a Double-A All-Star with the San Antonio Missions in 2003 and collected the John Ellis Award for community service in 2000 as a member of the New Haven Ravens in the Eastern League. He batted .259 with 116 doubles, six triples, 59 home runs and 298 RBI during his nine year minor-league career.
Horner played at Washington State for coaches Bobo Brayton (1993-94) and Steve Farrington (1995-96). The Twin Falls, Idaho native earned first-team All-Pac-10 Conference honors as a senior after leading the Cougars with a .332 batting average. Horner was also named the Pacific-10 Conference Medal Winner for Washington State as WSU’s top male student-athlete and received all-academic honors while earning a bachelor's degree in criminal justice.
Jim and his wife, Katie, have four children: daughters, Madison and Reagan, and sons, Jackson and Tyler.
