Tim Chambers

Tim Chambers is in his fourth season as the head coach of the UNLV Rebels baseball team. He reached a career milestone by capturing his 100th win as the Rebels’ skipper on February 16, 2014, becoming the quickest coach to reach that mark in UNLV history, as it took him 176 games.

In 2013, Chambers led the Rebels to a 37-20 overall record, which was the most wins for the program since 2004. Going into the season, UNLV was tabbed to finish fifth in the Mountain West. The youthful Rebels proved the coaches and critics wrong by finishing second with an 18-12 record in MW play. A highlight to the 2013 season came in non-conference play when UNLV traveled to Stanford and swept the No. 9 ranked Cardinal. That propelled the team into the rankings for the first time in a decade as UNLV was ranked as high as No. 21 by Baseball America.

In 2012, Chambers reached a career milestone early in the season, his 500th win. He came into the season needing only one win, and the Rebels helped him reach the historic mark with a 6-1 win over Loyola Marymount in the second game of the season.

In his first season at the helm of the Rebel program, he led UNLV to a 33-25 record, marking the first time the squad had reached the 30-win plateau since the 2005 season. Among the 33 wins in 2011 were three over nationally ranked opponents, including No. 9 TCU, No. 11 UC Irvine and No. 14 Arizona. The 23 wins at Wilson Stadium were the most at home since the 2004 season.

One of the country’s most successful baseball mentors at the high school, American Legion and then junior college levels over the past two decades, Chambers, who hails from Claremore, Okla., took over the Rebels after 11 seasons leading the nationally ranked College of Southern Nevada program. He also served as athletics director for CSN since 2003.

Named the Scenic West Athletic Conference Coach of the Year four times, including his final season, Chambers built the Coyotes’ powerful program from the ground up and enjoyed stunning success: seven conference championships, three region titles, two district crowns and the 2003 JUCO World Series Championship. The 2010 squad, led by top Major League Baseball draft pick Bryce Harper, was ranked second in the nation and finished 52-16 overall after reaching the national semifinals.

Before moving to CSN, Chambers served as head coach at Las Vegas’ Bishop Gorman High School from 1991-99 where he won six consecutive Sunset Division championships (1992-97) and was the state runner-up in 1997. He was named the NIAA High School Baseball Coach of the Year in 1993 and ‘94 was also head coach of the American Legion Las Vegas Knights from 1991-99.

Chambers was also an accomplished player, earning all-conference honors at three different schools, including being named All-American at Dixie College in 1984. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern Utah University in 1989.

Chambers passed away on October 27, 2019.