The winningest coach in Vanderbilt University (Tenn.) history, Tim Corbin begins his 19th season at the helm of the Commodores baseball program in 2021. In 2019, the Commodores secured the program’s second national championship in six seasons and set a Southeastern Conference (SEC) single-season record with 59 wins. During this record-breaking season, the Commodores captured the SEC regular season and tournament titles, the first program to accomplish this remarkable feat outright since the Commodores themselves did so in 2007. In addition, the 2019 Commodores set single-season records in home runs (100), RBIs (541), walks (339), runs (578) and strikeouts (765). For his efforts, Corbin was named American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and Collegiate Baseball’s coach of the year.
The three-time SEC Coach of the Year (2007, 2013, 2019) boasts an overall record of 753-359-1 (.677) at Vanderbilt, making him the school’s all-time leader in wins and first in winning percentage for coaches with 100 games or more. In his career as a head coach, Corbin is 859-497-1 (.633).
Corbin has been named National Coach of the Year on three different occasions (2007, 2014, 2019) by the ABCA, College Baseball Insider, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball and Perfect Game USA. In addition, Corbin was awarded the ABCA/Diamond Sports South Region Coach of the Year in 2015 and the ABCA/Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award in 2019.
Under Corbin, the Commodores have won two national championships (2014, 2019) and made 15 NCAA Tournament appearances, including 14-straight, which is the longest active streak in the SEC. His teams have also advanced to nine Super Regionals and four College World Series’.
In 2019, the Commodores tied an SEC record with 13 players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft. In total, 16 Commodores have been selected in the first round, two of whom were selected first overall, since Corbin’s arrival on the Vanderbilt campus in 2003, including eight in the past five years. In addition, 48 players have been named All-America, including 14 who have received first-team All-America recognition.
Corbin’s success and methods of running the Vanderbilt program have earned him respect among the college and international baseball communities. In the summer of 2006, he managed the USA Baseball National Team to a 28-2-1 record that culminated with a gold medal finish at the International University Sports Federation World University Championship in Havana, Cuba. The .919 winning percentage set a national team record and garnered special recognition by the United States Olympic Committee.
Corbin came to Vanderbilt following nine seasons as an assistant coach at baseball power Clemson. During his time there (1994-2002), the Tigers had more victories than all but four programs in the country. Clemson won more than 71 percent of its games (434 wins, 172 losses), captured two Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles, made nine appearances in the NCAA Tournament and reached the College World Series four times (1995, 1996, 2000 and 2002).
Prior to his tenure at Clemson, Corbin was head coach at Presbyterian College for six seasons beginning in 1988. There, he restarted a baseball program that had been dormant for several years. He directed Presbyterian College from NAIA to NCAA Division II status and had a 106-138 overall record. Along the way, the Blue Hose made three consecutive appearances in the South Atlantic playoffs (1991-93) and Corbin earned South Atlantic Coach of the Year honors in 1990.
The 35-year Lifetime ABCA Member served as ABCA President in 2013 and is currently on the Board of Directors, Standing Committee and multiple other committees.
