Shannon Hunt embarks on his sixth season in 2020 as head coach of the New Mexico Highlands baseball program.
During his five seasons, Hunt has coached 10 all-conference players - including four first-team members in center fielder Auggie Francis (2019), pitcher Dakota Pacheco (2018), third baseman Alvaro Gonzalez (2016) and first baseman Matthew Chavez (2015). In 2019, Francis was also named under Hunt the RMAC Player of the Year, RMAC Academic Player of the Year and a Third-Team All-American.
Hunt had stints as NMHU associate head coach in 2005 and 2014. During the 2005 season, the Cowboys finished 38-18 had a team batting average of .368, with .558 slugging percentage and .449 on base percentage. The Cowboys were the 2005 RMAC Tournament champions, and received a bid to the NCAA Regional Tournament.
Hunt, who is beginning his 28th year of coaching, began his time as a player/coach for the Reno Silver Sox Baseball Club in the California League in 1991. Besides associate head coaching positions at Edmonds CC (1993), Butte College (1994-96) and Shasta College (2001-04), he served as an associate scout/coach for the San Francisco Giants from 1992-2004.
After his year stint with the Cowboys, Hunt was the head coach at El Paso CC from 2005-09 and had a record of 112-110-2. During his time in Texas, his teams posted strong offensive numbers. In 2008 Hunt's club put up some impressive totals with a .358 average, .589 slugging percentage and a .437 on-base percentage. His El Paso club earned a NJCAA Division 1 Region V playoff berth that year. He also served as both the pitching/hitting coach and assistant field manager for the Yuma Scorpions of the Golden Baseball League in the summers of 2007 and 2008, in which his 2007 club finished second in the GBL in batting and third in ERA.
Before rejoining Highlands coaching staff, he served as the hitting coach for the Traverse City Beach Bums from 2010-13. As the hitting coach, he oversaw one of the most productive offenses in the Frontier League. In his first three years in Traverse City, the Beach Bums have had 12 Offensive All-Stars, posted nine franchise records and had 31 appearances in the top three of the league leaderboards at the end of the respective seasons. In 2010, Hunt helped lead Traverse City (59-45) to its first Frontier League Championship series against the River City Rascals. During his four seasons in Traverse City, the club made the playoffs in three of four seasons. The 2012 season saw Hunt's biggest offensive year with the Beachbums in which his hitters helped propel the team to the best record in the regular season (64-32). Overall during Hunt's time with Traverse City, he helped manager Gregg Langbehn guide the team to a 183-134 record.
His collegiate playing career began in 1985 as a utility player at DeAnza CC in Cupertino, California. He also played collegiately at Butte College (1986-87) and NAIA power house Lewis Clark State College (1987-89). While at Butte, he helped the Roadrunners to a California JUCO state championship appearance. While playing at Lewis Clark State under Hall of Fame Coach Ed Cheff, the Warriors were NAIA national champions in 1988 and 1989. In 1990, he played in minor league baseball as a catcher and utility player for the Bend Bucks of the San Francisco Giants organization.
Hunt received his bachelor's degree in 1994 in physical education, exercise physiology and kinematics from Cal State University-Chico. He also received his Master's degree from the same institution in physical education with an emphasis in biomechanical analysis in 2001.
Shannon is married to Dawn and they have one son, Willem.
