Mention Methodist University baseball and the consistent success it has enjoyed through the years, and one has to look no further than the man behind that success - Tom Austin. For more than four decades now, it has been nothing short of excellence on the diamond. In 2025, Austin will be entering his 46th season.
Hired by Methodist in 1980, Austin has achieved a winning record in all but three of his 45 seasons. His teams have posted 30-win seasons on 20 occasions, including two 40-win seasons en route to a career record of 1,284-617-10. Austin was the sixth coach in the history of NCAA Division III baseball to reach the 1,000-win plateau. He is currently sixth overall among all-time NCAA Division III head coaches and second among active D-III head coaches in victories.Â
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Austin has elevated the Monarch baseball program to one of the best in NCAA Division III. During his tenure at Methodist, he has guided the Monarchs to six NCAA Division III College World Series (1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996), finishing no lower than fifth. Their best finish occurred in the 1995 season, when the Monarchs finished as the NCAA Division III runners-up.     Â
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Under Austin’s guidance, Methodist has tallied 22 Dixie Intercollegiate/USA South Athletic Conference (DIAC) championships, six NCAA Division III South Regional titles and 22 NCAA Division III National Tournament berths, including trips to the NCAA Tournament in the 2013 and 2015 seasons. Methodist has also earned recognition as the country’s top-ranked NCAA Division III team on three different occasions, including the 2002 season. Methodist finished 2015 ranked No. 22 in the final D3baseball.com Top 25. In 2023, the Monarchs climbed as high as 16th in the same poll during the regular season.      Â
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The Monarchs have molded this success playing baseball the Tom Austin way – pure fundamentals and playing smart. Austin has always prided his teams on strong pitching, sharp defense, consistent hitting and getting the most out of every player.
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In addition, Methodist wins by getting the little things done, like running the bases and moving runners into scoring position. Austin’s teams have consistently been some of the best in the USA South in stolen bases. His 1986 squad set an NCAA Division III single-season record for stolen bases with 334. That same team also set the NCAA Division III single-season record for walks with 440.
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Austin’s accomplishments have earned him numerous coaching honors during his career. He has been selected the Dixie Intercollegiate/USA South Athletic Conference Coach of the Year 12 times, including in 2018. He has also been selected as the NCAA Division III South Region Coach of the Year seven times in 11 years and the North Carolina College Coach of the Year twice.
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In addition to producing championship teams at Methodist, Austin has also molded many dynamic players at Methodist. A total of 30 players under Austin have garnered NCAA Division III All-American honors, while over 200 All-Conference honors have been bestowed upon his athletes. Two Methodist baseball players have received the USA South's Don Scalf Award – an honor given to the conference's top male student-athlete of the year; Alex Kachler was recognized in 2020, while Hunter Hollman earned the award in 2024.Â
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The influence of Austin is felt on a national level as he is creating a coaching tree of former assistant coaches and players who are now head coaches at the collegiate level. The most notable include former assistant coach Jim Peeples (former head coach and now Athletic Director at Piedmont) and former players Paul Knight (head coach at Middle Georgia State) and Justin Scali (head coach at Piedmont University).
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A native of Philadelphia, Pa., Austin attended Seminole Community College in Sanford, Fla., where he was an All-Florida Conference outfielder and set the state junior college stolen base record. While at Seminole, Austin played for former University of Florida and University of Central Florida head coach Jay Bergman. From there, Austin transferred to Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., where he played outfield for the Tars under the late Boyd Coffie and received his bachelor’s degree in history in 1972. He then earned his master’s degree in education from Rollins in 1976.
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Before his position at Methodist, Austin served as football and baseball coach at his high school alma mater, Bishop Moore High School in Orlando, Fla., from 1973 to 1979. Austin lives in Fayetteville with his wife Jill and two sons, Christian and Jacob. Jacob was a member of the Methodist baseball team from 2018–23, and Austin's oldest son, Doug, is a police officer with the Fayetteville Police Department.
Austin's Record at Methodist…
| Season |
Record (Overall) |
Record (Conference) |
Season Notes… |
| 1980 |
21-9* |
8-4 |
DIAC Reg. Season Champs |
| 1981 |
22-15 |
7-5 |
|
| 1982 |
34-12-1 |
6-2 |
DIAC Reg. Season Champs / NCAA Division III Tournament |
| 1983 |
25-14 |
4-4 |
NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 1984 |
39-9 |
6-2 |
NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 1985 |
32-14 |
4-4 |
NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 1986 |
43-6-2 |
7-1 |
DIAC Reg. Season Champs / NCAA Division III Tour. / NCAA D-III South Region Champs |
| 1987 |
40-12 |
6-2 |
NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 1988 |
37-9 |
9-3 |
NCAA Division III Tour. / NCAA D-III South Region Champs |
| 1989 |
33-5 |
11-1 |
DIAC Reg. Season Champs / NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 1990 |
27-17 |
4-5 |
NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 1991 |
31-16 |
6-3 |
NCAA Division III Tour. / NCAA D-III South Region Champs |
| 1992 |
35-13 |
5-4 |
NCAA Division III Tour. / NCAA D-III South Region Champs |
| 1993 |
28-10 |
6-6 |
NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 1994 |
25-14-1 |
6-4 |
|
| 1995 |
36-19-1 |
8-2 |
DIAC Reg. Season Champs / NCAA Division III Tour. / NCAA D-III So. Reg. Champs / NCAA D-III Runner-Up |
| 1996 |
35-9 |
11-1 |
DIAC Reg. Season and Tournament Champs / NCAA Division III Tour. / NCAA D-III So. Reg. Champs |
| 1997 |
31-10 |
8-3 |
|
| 1998 |
32-13-1 |
10-2 |
DIAC Reg. Season Champs / NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 1999 |
29-13 |
9-3 |
DIAC Reg. Season Champs / NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 2000 |
25-15-1 |
6-6 |
|
| 2001 |
29-15-1 |
8-4 |
DIAC Reg. Season Champs / NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 2002 |
39-9-1 |
11-3 |
DIAC Reg. Season Champs / NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 2003 |
26-15 |
6-6 |
|
| 2004 |
30-19 |
10-11 |
USA South Tournament Champs /Â NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 2005 |
30-12 |
13-5 |
USA South Reg. Season Champs |
| 2006 |
26-17 |
13-4 |
USA South Reg. Season Champs |
| 2007 |
30-15 |
7-5 |
USA South Reg. Season Champs /Â NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 2008 |
28-15-1 |
7-5 |
|
| 2009 |
27-13 |
7-5 |
|
| 2010 |
28-14 |
8-4 |
|
| 2011 |
28-16 |
6-6 |
|
| 2012 |
22-21 |
6-6 |
|
| 2013 |
25-22 |
11-13 |
USA South Tour. Champs /Â NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 2014 |
22-16 |
15-11 |
|
| 2015 |
32-10 |
24-6 |
USA South Reg. Season Champs /Â NCAA Division III Tour. |
| 2016 |
20-18 |
10-8 |
|
| 2017 |
17-21 |
7-11 |
|
| 2018 |
32-12 |
14-3 |
USA South Reg. Season Champs |
| 2019 |
32-9 |
20-4 |
|
| 2020* |
12-6 |
3-0 |
*Season canceled on 3/16/20 due to COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2021 |
15-17 |
7-8 |
|
| 2022 |
26-16 |
16-5 |
|
| 2023 |
27-13 |
13-8 |
|
| 2024 |
21-22 |
12-9 |
|
| 2025 |
34-15 |
16-5 |
USA South Reg. Season Champs /Â USA South Tour. Champs /Â NCAA Division III Tour. |
| TOTALS |
1,318-632-10 |
417-222 |
|
| *Does not include forfeits vs. Pitt.-Johnstown (2) & Oberlin (2)Â during the 1980 season. |
