Dan Spencer is in his sixth year of leading the Linfield baseball program. During his third season at the helm, he guided the Wildcats to a share of the Northwest Conference championship and a berth in the NWC Tournament.
Hired in 2019, Spencer is just the sixth coach to lead the baseball program over the last 72 seasons. Since recording its first Northwest Conference baseball championship in 1923, Linfield has won three national championships (two as part of the NAIA and one in the NCAA), along with 41 additional conference titles.
Spencer became the first non-Linfield graduate to lead the program since 1949. He has strong ties to the Pacific Northwest and brought with him 28 years of coaching experience, including 22 at the Division I level with stops at Washington State, New Mexico, Oregon State and Texas Tech.
He coached at Washington State for three seasons, serving as the Cougars associate head coach, pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.
Before Washington State, Spencer was an assistant for three years at New Mexico (2013-15), where he helped the Lobos reach the title game of the Mountain West Conference Tournament. In 2014, his pitching staff recorded the lowest collective ERA (4.23) since 1977 and seventh-lowest staff ERA in the program's 115-year history. The UNM bullpen saved a school-record 16 games.
He spent a total of 11 years as a member of the Oregon State coaching staff, first as an assistant (1997-2003) and then as associate head coach under Pat Casey (2004-07). While in Corvallis, the Beavers won back-to-back national titles and appeared in three straight College World Series (2005-07). His pitching staffs led the Pac-10 in ERA during 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 as its National Pitching Coach of the Year in 2007.
Spencer spent five seasons at Texas Tech, one as associate head coach and four more as head coach. He was the first Red Raiders head coach to win at least 25 games in each of his first four seasons and his teams defeated 32 nationally ranked opponents. His players excelled in the classroom, earning 31 Academic All-Big 12 awards during his four years, nearly as many (34) as the school received in the 12 years preceding his arrival.
During his time at Oregon State, Texas Tech and New Mexico, Spencer coached 12 players to 26 All-America awards. Thirty five players he coached were selected in the first 10 rounds of the Major League Baseball draft, including 14 in the top five rounds and three first-round picks.
Spencer began his head coaching career at Green River Community College in Auburn, Wash., where he was the head coach from 1992-96. In 1992 and 1994, he was named the Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges Coach of the Year. He also spent one season as an assistant at Tacoma Community College. His first coaching job was leading Vancouver’s Ryder Construction 16-18 year-old Senior Babe Ruth team.
As a player, Spencer played three seasons as a catcher and third baseman at Texas Tech after beginning his collegiate career at Mira Costa College in Oceanside, California.
A native of Vancouver, Wash., and Fort Vancouver High School graduate, Spencer completed his bachelor's degree in history from Portland State University in 1990. He and his wife, Susie, have three children: Wade, 25, Logan, 22, and Elizabeth, 15.
DAN SPENCER’S COACHING CHRONOLOGY
| School |
Position |
Tenure |
| Linfield |
Head Coach |
2020- |
| Washington State |
Associate Head Coach |
2016-19 |
| New Mexico |
Assistant Coach |
2013-15 |
| Texas Tech |
Head Coach |
2009-12 |
| Texas Tech |
Associate Head Coach |
2008 |
| Oregon State |
Associate Head Coach |
2004-07 |
| Oregon State |
Assistant Coach |
1997-2003 |
| Green River C.C. |
Head Coach |
1992-96 |
| Tacoma C.C. |
Assistant Coach |
1991 |