LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Former UNLV baseball head coach Tim Chambers passed away Sunday in Las Vegas at the age of 54.
Chambers was at the helm of the Rebel program for five seasons (2011-15) after being named its sixth head coach on June 11, 2010. He compiled a 157-132 overall mark at UNLV, posting 25 or more wins each year, including 37 in the 2013 campaign.
In 2014, Chambers led the Scarlet & Gray to a Mountain West regular-season title with a 20-10 mark en route to an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. The Rebels finished the year 36-25.
Under his watch, Chambers had 14 players drafted by Major League Baseball teams, including right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde, who was the third first-round draft pick in program history when he was selected 18th overall in the 2014 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Washington Nationals.
Chambers, a native of Claremore, Oklahoma, had strong ties to the Las Vegas community after serving as the head coach at Bishop Gorman High School (1991-99) and at the College of Southern Nevada (2000-10).
At Bishop Gorman, Chambers led the Gaels to six consecutive Sunset Division championships (1992-97) and one state runner-up finish in 1997. He garnered NIAA High School Baseball Coach of the Year honors twice over (1993 and ’94).
Chambers built CSN into a national power on the junior college circuit, winning seven conference championships, three region titles, two district crowns and the 2003 JUCO World Series Championship. The 2010 squad, led by top MLB draft pick Bryce Harper, was ranked second in the nation and finished the year 52-16 overall after it reached the national semifinals.
As a player, Chambers earned All-America honors in 1984 while playing at Dixie College, and was named all-conference at three different schools. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah University in 1989.
He is survived by his wife, Kimberlie, and his two daughters, McKenzie and Chase.
Information regarding services is pending.
