Carlos James facts for kids

Carlos James, born on October 12, 1971, is a well-known American college baseball coach. He used to be the head coach for the Arkansas–Pine Bluff Golden Lions baseball team. He started this job before the 2011 baseball season.

Playing Baseball

After high school, Carlos James was picked by the Oakland Athletics in the 1990 MLB Draft. However, he chose to play college baseball instead. He played for Seminole State College of Oklahoma for two seasons. During his time there, his team reached the NJCAA College World Series in both 1991 and 1992.

He then finished his college baseball career at Arkansas. After playing for the Razorbacks, James spent a couple of seasons with the Pine Bluff Locomotives. This was an independent team, meaning it wasn't part of a major league system.

Coaching Career

Carlos James also worked with traveling baseball teams. These teams, like the Arkansas Prospects and APAK Scout Team, helped young players show their skills. This allowed college coaches and professional scouts to see their talent. James also worked as a scout for the Seattle Mariners. A scout's job is to find new talented players.

From 2000 to 2004, he was an assistant coach at Arkansas–Pine Bluff. He also coached local teams in his hometown of Pine Bluff. In 2008, he became the interim head coach at Arkansas–Monticello. He then became the full-time head coach the next year. He did a great job improving the team, helping them compete in the Gulf South Conference. He was also the first African-American head coach for any sport at UAM, and the first for baseball in the Gulf South Conference.

In 2011, James returned to Arkansas–Pine Bluff as the head coach. In 2013, he was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. In his fourth season, 2014, he led the Golden Lions to their first-ever SWAC Western Division Championship. This was a big achievement for the school's baseball program. Carlos James announced on May 28, 2024, that he was leaving Pine Bluff after 14 seasons.

Coaching Records

Carlos James had a long career as a head coach. Here is a summary of his overall record at the Division I level: