Lindsay Meggs - Baseball Coach - University of Washington Athletics

Lindsay Meggs

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
lmeggs@uw.edu
Phone:
(206) 616-4335

The 2022 season will be the 13th with Lindsay Meggs leading the Washington Baseball program. His 902 career wins are most among Pac-12 coaches, while he is the also the longest-tenured coach in the Conference.

The 2021 season saw Washington finish with a 20-30 record overall and a 6-21 Pac-12 record. The Huskies picked up a road series win against a top-10 UCLA squad and saw two players in pitcher Tyson Guerrero (Royals) and outfielder Braiden Ward (Rockies) selected the MLB Draft.

The Huskies were off to a 9-6 start in 2020 before the season came to an abrupt halt due to Covid-19 right before the Pac-12 season was set to commence. The Huskies were lucky to have such a seasoned veteran coach leading them when the pandemic hit as behind his leadership, Meggs rallied his players and provided stability to the program through uncertain times. His team was able to record one of its most successful academic quarters (3.45 overall team GPA) during the spring, he had five of his player named to the All-Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll and he saw yet another UW player hear their name called during the shortened MLB Draft (Stevie Emanuels, 5th round).

Since Meggs took over as Washington's head baseball coach on July 27, 2009, he has built the Huskies into one of the Pac-12's premier programs. With renovated Husky Ballpark -- the most beautiful setting for college baseball in the West -- and one of the world's most-esteemed academic institutions at his disposal, Meggs has molded the University of Washington into an ideal destination for student-athletes to come and hone their skills on the diamond while receiving a top-notch education.

Since moving into renovated Husky Ballpark, UW has participated in the post season three times. In 2018, the Huskies made the program's first-ever College World Series appearance in Omaha*, putting college baseball on notice that the Diamond Dawgs are a program to be reckoned with.

An important aspect of playing for Meggs is succeeding in the classroom and the recent Husky teams have reached historic academic heights. The squad posted a 3.29 cumulative grade point average after autumn quarter in 2016 to record the highest team GPA in UW Baseball history. They just missed replicating the feat during winter quarter of 2019 when they posted a 3.28 GPA. After the 2020 spring quarter, the baseball team has posted a combined GPA of 3.0 or higher in 21 of the last 23 main quarters (fall, winter, spring).

In 2019, the Huskies were once again vying for a post-season berth until the very end of the season. They finished the year 28-24, just shy of reaching the fourth post-season appearance in six years. Several highlights on the field included a series win over NCAA Regional participant Arizona State, the continued development of the All-Pac-12 catcher Nick Kahle, Braiden Ward capturing his second Pac-12 stolen base crown in two years and a pitching staff that saw a record five different pitchers record 50 or more strikeouts.

It was also a great year off the field for the Huskies. Kahle was a Buster Posey Catcher of the Year semifinalist and All-Pac-12 selection. Mason Cerrillo was the Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year and the Huskies led the way in the Conference with five student-athletes receiving All-Pac-12 Academic first- or second-team recognition (seven others received honorable mention). Six players on the roster heard their names called during Major League Baseball's annual draft -- including a school record-tying five in the top-20 rounds.

Meggs has a proven track record for developing professional talent. In his 11 years, players have heard their names called on draft day 40 times, including a school record eight in 2014.

The Huskies reached new heights in 2018 under the direction of ninth-year head coach Lindsay Meggs. The Diamond Dawgs overcame injuries and a slow start to the season to finish strong and earn the program's first trip to Omaha and the College World Series.*

Behind the strength of a a third-place Pac-12 finish and 20-10 Conference mark, Washington won its last five Pac-12 series, including over nationally ranked UCLA and Stanford, and came within three outs of winning the Conference championship, to enter the post-season at 30-23 and one of the hottest teams in the NCAA field.*

Meggs guided the Huskies through a land-mine littered post-season route, including a trip to Conway, S.C., where the third-seeded Huskies beat UConn twice and host Coastal Carolina to earn the program's first trip to a Super Regional. UW took on a historic Cal State Fullerton squad in that Super Regional and won two-out-three over the Titans in walk-off fashion to earn the program's first Super Regional win and College World Series berth. The Huskies dropped a 1-0 decision to Mississippi State and 14-5 to Oregon State in the CWS, but Meggs and the 2018 squad set a standard to which all other teams will be compared.*

In 2017, the Huskies were 28-26 overall and contended for a post-season berth until the very end. Meggs' Huskies were ranked as high as 10th during the year and were once again one of the nation's best defensive teams. The Huskies had a .982 fielding percentage to lead the Pac-12 and rank third nationally. They committed 36 errors during the season, the fewest by a Husky squad in the 40 years that defensive stats have been archived.

At the conclusion of the season, eight different Huskies received All-Pac-12 recognition, including three to the first team (Joey Morgan, Noah Bremer, MJ Hubbs) and one to the All-Defensive Team (Morgan). Four Huskies also heard their names called for the 2017 MLB Draft, led by Morgan in the fourth round.

Meggs has also led the Huskies to the NCAA Regionals in two of the last four seasons, most recently the Nashville Regional in 2016. The Huskies were picked eighth in the pre-season coaches poll, but exceeded expectations by finishing second in the Pac-12 with a 33-23 overall record, 17-13 in Conference action. The Huskies entered the final weekend of Pac-12 action with a chance to win the Conference title, but came up one game short. They were the No. 3 seed at Vanderbilt and went 1-2, beating and eliminating the host Commodores in the tournament.

Four Huskies earned All-Conference honors, including Pac-12 Pitcher of the Year, Troy Rallings, who was also a first team All-American and a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist. Chris Baker and his son, Jack, were both All-Pac-12 and All-Pac-12 Defensive Team members, while Joey Morgan earned All-Pac-12 honors.

In 2015, Washington finished with a 29-25 overall record, going 14-16 in the Pac-12 Conference. Under Meggs, two players were selected to the All-Pac-12 Conference team, Tyler Davis and Braden Bishop. Bishop was also named to the Pac-12-All-Defensive Team.

Meggs also saw four players selected in the MLB draft. Austin Rei was the first Husky, selected in the third round going 81^st overall. Bishop was taken in the same round, 94^th overall. Davis was selected next in the 23^rd round, followed by Troy Rallings in the 36^th round on the final day.

In 2014, Meggs led the Huskies to one of their best seasons in school history. The team finished with a record of 41-17-1, 21-9 in Pac-12 play. It was the fifth time in UW history the Huskies achieved 40 or more wins, the first time since 2003. The team reached its highest rankings in school history, checking in at fifth in the Baseball America, Perfect Game and Collegiate Baseball polls during the season.

For his efforts, Meggs was named the 2014 Pac-12 Coach of the Year. After being picked 10th out of 11 teams in the Pac-12 pre-season coaches poll, Meggs guided the Huskies to a second-place finish in the Conference, their best Pac-12 finish since 2004. It was the second most league wins in school history and most since the north and south merged in 1999.

UW returned to the NCAA post-season for the first time in a decade. The Huskies narrowly missed out on receiving a regional bid and ended up 2-2 at the Oxford Regional, being eliminated by host and eventual College World Series participant Ole Miss, who beat UW twice in a pair of one-run games.

ABOUT COACH MEGGS

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING

"I think this is an outstanding opportunity for Lindsay and for the University of Washington. I have known Lindsay for a very long time. We are both UCLA alums so our relationship is very long-standing. I have been very impressed with the coaching job he has done across the board, whether that is in the JC ranks, at Chico State or Indiana State. It's an excellent opportunity for him and I think he is a great addition to Pac-10 baseball."

- Andy Lopez, former Arizona head coach

"The University of Washington has not only found a good head coach, but a good man in Lindsay Meggs. Lindsay has shown at every stop and at every level in his career that he is a proven leader, teacher and winner. There is no doubt in my mind that the university will be very proud of how he will lead their baseball program into the future."

- Dave Serrano, former Tennessee head coach

The Huskies were a balanced squad in 2014 under Meggs. The pitching staff had a team ERA of 3.11 to rank third in the pitching-rich Pac-12 Conference. It was the lowest ERA by the Huskies since 1985. The Huskies also ranked second in the conference with 17 saves. The offense ranked among the top half of Pac-12 schools in hitting (.279, 3rd), slugging percentage (.378, 4th), on base percentage (.366, 3rd), runs (324, 4th), hits (538, 3rd), runs batted in (298, 3rd), doubles (93, 4th), home runs (26, T3rd) and total bases (729, 4th).

A total of four players earned All-Conference honors and four were named to the 10-man All-Defensive Team, including Defensive Player of the Year Erik Forgione. The success on the field led to a school-record eight players getting selected in the 2014 MLB Draft.

In 2013, Washington finished 6th in the Pac-12 Conference with a 15-15 record and were 24-32 overall. They finished the season by winning 15 of 22, including series wins over World Series participant Oregon State, defending national champion Arizona, NCAA participant Arizona State and a three-game sweep over Washington State. They beat the Wildcats 23-1 in one game, pounding out 30 hits, the most ever allowed by Arizona.

The 2012 season saw the Huskies make another big step forward, finishing the season with a 30-25 overall record, their best finish in half a decade.

In his first season, Meggs improved the Huskies' wins total over the prior year by five, finishing the season 28-28 overall. In his time in charge at the UW, Meggs has begun a turnaround with aggressive recruiting and in his efforts to make major improvements to the Huskies' facilities.

Meggs, 50, who won two NCAA Division II national titles while at Chico State, served as the Indiana State head coach for the 2007, 2008 and 2009 seasons. In 2009, he was named Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year after leading Indiana State to a 33-21 overall record and a 15-7 mark in MVC play, good enough to earn the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

Meggs was the first Sycamores coach to earn MVC Coach of the Year since 1984. After being picked to finish sixth in the league's preseason poll, Indiana State's second-place finish was its highest since 1998. Meggs' 2009 squad boasted nine players who earned some level of all-conference honors, including four first-team selections.

Prior to his three years in Terre Haute, Meggs spent 13 seasons (1994-2006) as the head coach at Chico State, where the posted a 538-228-4 overall record and won two NCAA Division II national championships, in 1997 and 1999. While at Chico State, Meggs' teams made it to the D-II World Series seven times and won eight conference crowns. Meggs was named the NCAA Division II Coach of the Year twice and was the regional coach and conference coach of the year seven times each.

In total, Meggs' career record as a four-year college head coach stands at 660-372-4 over 18 seasons. Prior to his 13 seasons in Chico, Meggs was head coach at Long Beach City College for three seasons, going 75-51-1 with three trips to the playoffs during his term with the Vikings.

He was also head coach at Oxnard College (1989-90) and was an assistant coach at Cal Lutheran (1988-89) and De Anza Junior College (1987-88) Born in San Jose, Calif., and graduate of Saratoga (Calif.) High School, Meggs attended UCLA, where he played four seasons as a starting third baseman on the baseball team.

He earned honorable mention All-Pac-10 in 1983, was drafted by the Brewers in 1983 and was signed by the Royals after being taken in the 15th round of the 1984 draft. Meggs earned his bachelor's degree from UCLA in 1985 and his master's in education-physical education from Asuza Pacific in 1992. He and his wife, Teresa, have three children: Joe, Kelly and Jack. Both sons played baseball at Washington. Joe is the director of operations for the UW baseball team while Jack was a four-year letterwinner and a 2017 10th-round draft pick by the Oakland Athletics. Kelly played basketball at UC Irvine and one season of softball at Washington.

COACHING RECORD

CHICO STATE

Year	Overall	Pct.	Conference	Place	Postseason
1994	26-27	.491	15-20	3rd
1995	29-25-2	.537	18-17	3rd
1996	43-17	.717	25-10	1st	NCAA Regionals
1997	52-11	.825	30-5	1st	CWS Champions
1998	37-17	.685	23-12	T-1st	CWS
1999	50-17	.746	29-12	2nd	CWS Champions
2000	45-12	.789	30-7	1st	NCAA Regionals
2001	35-16	.686	25-12	2nd
2002	55-10	.846	33-7	1st	CWS
2003	36-18	.667	24-14	2nd
2004	42-21-1	.664	23-15-1	1st	CWS
2005	42-16-1	.720	24-11	1st	CWS
2006	46-21-1	.687	18-11	4th	CWS
CSU Total	538-228-4	.700	316-153-1	.673

INDIANA STATE

Year	Overall	Pct.	Conference	Place	Postseason
2007	26-26	.500	7-17	8th
2008	18-32	.360	9-15	7th
2009	33-21	.611	15-7	2nd
ISU Total	77-79	.494	31-39	.443

WASHINGTON

Year	Overall	Pct.	Conference	Place	Postseason
2010	28-28	.500	7-17	9th
2011	17-37	.315	6-21	10th
2012	30-25	.545	13-17	7th
2013	24-32	.429	15-15	6th
2014	41-17-1	.703	21-9	2nd	NCAA Regionals
2015	29-25	.537	14-16	7th
2016	33-23	.589	17-13	2nd	NCAA Regionals
2017	28-26	.519	14-16	7th
2018	0-26*	-	0-10*	3rd	College World Series*
2019	28-24	.539	12-17	8th
2020	9-6	.600	0-0	-
2021	20-30	.400	6-21	13th
UW Total	287-299-1	.489	125-172	.421
Career Total	902-606-5	.596	476-363-1	.567

*Records do not include 35 total vacated wins during Spring 2018 season due to NCAA Committee on Infractions ruling. Vacated records also include the 2018 College World Series appearance.