NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt baseball head coach Tim Corbin has been selected as a 2020 inductee to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Brad Willis, chief advancement and operations officer for the organization, announced during the program’s weekly media availability Thursday.
“I don’t know what to say – caught way off guard,” Corbin said Thursday. “The ability to be here for a long period of time has everything to do with that. And being surrounded by a lot of good people – and being at a University where it is meaningful to have kids that are centered, mature, doing special things away from the field academically as well athletically and socially – it’s all of that.
“We’ve been thrown into a great place. Very thankful. It’s unbelievable.”
The Commodores have achieved unprecedented success under Corbin, who has led the program to 15 NCAA Tournaments, nine super regionals, four College World Series, two national titles (2014, 2019) and one national runner-up (2015).
In his 18 seasons at the helm, Corbin has amassed a 748-356-1 record. Vanderbilt’s current stretch of 14 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances is tied for the longest streak by a head coach in SEC history.
Since taking over in 2003, 48 players have been named All-America including 14 who have received first-team All-America recognition. During that stretch, 28 Commodores have been named freshman All-America and 24 have gone on to play in Major League Baseball – the most in the SEC during that time frame. Vanderbilt led the nation with 15 former student-athletes in the majors in 2019.
Before Corbin was hired as the 21st coach in program history, Vanderbilt had not earned a spot in the conference tournament in a decade.
Information regarding tickets for the 2020 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be announced at a later date.
“Just the ability to wake up every day and do something that you’re passionate about – that’s the most appealing thing,” Corbin said. “When you have a partner that shares that experience with you it’s ever more so.
“We’re just extremely lucky. I can’t say any more than that. I feel fortunate when you have this and it has us – because they didn’t have to take us, but they did. Because of that we’ve just tried to build a home for a lot of people, not just the baseball community, but Vanderbilt and the people that love Vanderbilt like we do.”
The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame previously announced fellow 2020 inductees Tony Delk, Jeff Fisher, Bettye Giles, Dick Horton, Sonny Smith and Carl Torbush. The full class will be released in the coming weeks.
Established in 1966, the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame honors figures from every sport including basketball, baseball, football, golf, soccer and track & field, along with coaches, teams, sports writers and others who made an impact. The Tennessee Department of Tourist Development oversees all operations along with the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors.
