Jim Gilligan is the head baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

 coach of the Lamar Cardinals

Lamar Cardinals

The Lamar Cardinals refers to the collegiate athletic teams of Lamar University. The inception of the nickname "Cardinals" dates back to the schools name change to Lamar in 1932. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports...

 college baseball

College baseball

College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...

 program.

In his 30 seasons as head coach, Gilligan has guided Lamar University

Lamar University

Lamar University, often referred to as Lamar or LU, is a comprehensive coeducational public research university located in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar confers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher...

's baseball team to 11 conference championships, 11 NCAA regional appearances, and four conference titles. He has been named the Southland Conference

Southland Conference

The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...

 coach of the year five times during his career and is the 32nd coach in NCAA history to record 1,000 career wins. Gilligan is an alumnus of Lamar University, having earned a bachelor's degree in 1969 and a master's in 1970

Recognition and awards

In 2007 Lamar baseball fans and Cardinal Club members started the fund for the Gilligan Scholarship as a symbol of the respect for, and recognition of, all that Gilligan has achieved. Donors said they hope the scholarship continues to grow and leave a permanent legacy in honor of Gilligan. The scholarship will assist members of Lamar's baseball team in attending Lamar.

On June 29 the Beaumont City Council voted unanimously to rename a section of East Florida Avenue to Jim Gilligan Way. They cited his excellence on and off the field for bestowing this honor.

As of the close of the 2010 season, Coach Gilligan ranks sixth among the NCAA's active coaches in career victories with 1,177. 1167 of those being at his alma mater Lamar University

Lamar University

Lamar University, often referred to as Lamar or LU, is a comprehensive coeducational public research university located in Beaumont, Texas, United States. Lamar confers bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees and is classified as a Doctoral Research University by the Carnegie Commission on Higher...

his first 10 came in one season at Western New Mexico.

In 2004 Gilligan was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame.