FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
LUBBOCK, Texas – Nearing the completion of his first coaching staff as head coach at Texas Tech, Tim Tadlock has hired Joe Hughes as the program’s director of baseball operations.
Hughes played under Tadlock at both Grayson County College (2004-05) and Oklahoma (2006-07) while spending the past year as an assistant director of event management at Oklahoma.
“Joe will be a tremendous asset to everyone involved with Texas Tech baseball,” Tadlock said. “He is a young man that could have been on the fast track in athletics administration if he decided to stay at Oklahoma under Joe Castiglione.
“But his desire to switch over into college baseball is something that kept pulling at his heart. I have no doubt he would be successful in any path he wanted to pursue and feel fortunate to be able to add a great man to our staff.”
Hughes, 27, worked with all 21 intercollegiate athletics programs at Oklahoma in event management. Hughes spent significant time working with athletics administration, coaching staffs, sport administrators, media relations, ticket sales, athletic trainers, marketing and game officials to list a few.
“I’m honored to become a part of the Texas Tech family,” Hughes said. “I’m looking forward to reuniting with Coach Tadlock and working with J-Bob, Ray and the entire support staff. Tim has done a tremendous job putting the pieces together to bring Tech back to a championship-caliber program.
“All three coaches are tremendously respected in the baseball world and are great baseball guys. I’m thankful for the opportunity and am looking forward to years of success with Texas Tech baseball.”
Hughes served as a student assistant coach with the Oklahoma baseball program in the fall of 2007 and following his post-graduate studies became a graduate assistant in the OU athletics department in January 2011.
In addition, Hughes worked Oklahoma baseball camps along with private lessons while coaching high school and youth baseball teams during his time in Norman.
Hughes’ relationship with Tadlock dates back to the beginning of his collegiate playing career at Grayson County College (2004-05) when Tadlock was head coach of the junior-college program in Dennison, Texas.
Following his junior-college career, Hughes turned down numerous NCAA Division I scholarship offers to reunite with Tadlock at Oklahoma where he was a two-year starter for the Sooners while helping lead the Sooners to the 2006 Norman Regional championship and to an NCAA Super Regional appearance. In fact, Hughes was a key member of the Sooners offense that led the Big 12 in hitting (.323) in 2006.
Following his senior season, Hughes signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Royals where he made 16 appearances during the 2007 season with Idaho Falls in the Pioneer League. Hughes’ playing career came to an end following 2008 spring training due to an arm injury.
Hughes played the outfield and pitched for the Sooners. He received several honors during his Oklahoma career, including All-Big 12 honorable mention, Academic All-Big 12 first team and Big 12 All-Tournament Team as a senior, and he was named Big 12 Player of the Week during the second week of the season in 2006.
He was a .348 (73-for-210) career hitter at Oklahoma while playing in 86 games (62 starts) with 43 runs, seven doubles, two triples, two home runs and 42 RBI with a .990 fielding percentage.
Hughes’ senior season he batted .333 (43-for-129) with 22 RBI and won six games on the mound (6-3) with a 5.32 ERA in 16 appearances (12 starts) with 66.0 innings, 48 strikeouts and 25 walks allowed while picking off three runners.
Hughes batted .375 during his freshman season at Grayson County in 2004 where he helped lead the Vikings to the NJCAA World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., following a Region V Tournament title. Hughes helped guide Grayson County to a conference championship in 2005 with a 41-10 overall record while batting .367 with 20 RBI and 13 stolen bases while pitching 35.1 innings with a 3-1 record and 3.57 ERA with 34 strikeouts.
Hughes graduated from Oklahoma in 2008 with a degree in human relations. He earned his master’s degree in 2010 with a degree in adult and higher education with an emphasis in intercollegiate athletics administration. Hughes is originally from Plano, Texas, where he played high school baseball at Plano East Senior High School. Hughes was born in Oceanside, Calif., on October 4, 1984.
