Dan Spencer completed his third season as the Cougars Associate Head Coach / Pitching Coach after spending the previous three seasons at New Mexico and the prior four years as the head coach of Texas Tech, compiling a 115-112 record. Before joining Texas Tech for the 2008 season, Spencer spent 11 seasons with Washington State Head Coach Marty Lees at Oregon State as the Beavers hitting coach (1997-2003) and pitching coach (2004-2007).
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The 2018 Cougar pitching staff, which featured nine new faces, was the only staff in the country to produce a pair of no-hitters, a first for WSU since 1976. Spencer guided senior lefthander Scotty Sunitsch to All-Pac-12 Conference honorable mention honors after leading the team in wins, strikeouts and innings and earned National Pitcher of the Week after throwing a no-hitter at Oregon. Spencer also saw four-pitchers combine to no-hit Santa Clara, completing a series sweep, while the pitching staff produced the fifth-most strikeouts in the last 24 seasons. Three pitchers from the 2018 staff were taken in the MLB Draft; Parker McFadden (16th round), Scotty Sunitsch (18th round), Ryan Walker (31st round) and a pair of Cougar pitcher signees were also drafted.
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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 Cougar pitching staff tallied more strikeouts and wins from a season ago while Scotty Sunitsch finished third in the Pac-12 with eight saves. WSU also tallied the second most pickoffs in the conference led by Damon Jones who lead the league with six pickoffs. Spencer also guided junior college transfer Cody Anderson to share the team-lead with five wins and also produce the tenth-lowest batting average against among all Pac-12 pitchers. Spencer closed the season with a pair of Cougar pitchers selected in the MLB Draft, Jones went to the Phillies in the 18th round and reliever Colby Nealy to the Dodgers in the 35th round.
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In 2016, his first season with Washington State, Spencer saw a pair of Cougars earn All-Pac-12 honorable mention honors and two hurlers taken in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft. Spencer guided Ian Hamilton, WSU’s all-time saves leader who converted to a starting pitcher, lead the team in innings and strikeouts before being selected in the 11th round by the Chicago White Sox. Reliever Ryan Walker joined Hamilton earning all-conference honors after leading a young WSU staff in wins, ERA, saves and opponent batting average. His 2.40 ERA was the fourth-lowest in the Pac-12 while his five saves tied for tenth. The Cougar pitching staff featured nine arms who made their WSU debut in 2016 including seven true freshmen.
Spencer helped the Lobos reach the title game of the 2015 Mountain West Tournament, posting a 32-27 overall record, 17-13 in conference play. He coached All-MWC First-Team pitcher Toller Boardman and Tyler Stevens, who became the first Lobo pitcher to be a named a freshman All-American. In 2014 Lobo pitchers recorded their lowest collective ERA (4.23) since 1977. It was also the seventh lowest staff ERA in the program's 115-year history. The bullpen also saved a school-record 16 games.
Prior to New Mexico, Spencer spent five season at Texas Tech, one year (2008) as associate head coach and four more as head coach, where his Red Raider set several records during his years as head coach. He was the first head coach to win at least 25 games each of his first four seasons, and his teams defeated 32 nationally-ranked opponents. His players excelled in the classroom as well as the Red Raiders produced 31 Academic All-Big 12 players in his four years, almost as many as the school had (34) in the 12 years prior to his arrival.
In addition to winning back-to-back national titles while at Oregon State (2006-07), he was part of the staff that led the Beavers to three straight College World Series appearances (2005-2007) and back-to-back Pac-10 titles in 2005-2006. His pitching staffs led the Pac-10 in ERA in both 2005 and 2006 and in saves in 2006 and 2007. He also served as the program's recruiting coordinator and brought in three nationally-ranked recruiting classes. Collegiate Baseball Magazine named Spencer the National Pitching Coach of the Year in 2007.
In his career at Oregon State, Texas Tech and New Mexico, Spencer coached 12 players to 26 All-American awards, and had 35 players selected in the first 10 rounds of the Major League Baseball draft, including 14 in the top five rounds and three first-round picks.
He began his head coaching career at Green River Community College in Auburn, Wash., where he was the head coach from 1992-1996. In 1992 and 1994 he was named the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Coach of the Year.
Spencer played one season at Mira Costa Junior College in San Diego in 1984 and went on to play three seasons at Texas Tech University (1984-87).
A native of Vancouver, Wash., Spencer received his bachelor's degree in history from Portland State University in 1990. He and his wife, Susie, have three children: Wade, Logan, and Elizabeth.
