Jerry Stitt
Jerry Lewis Stitt (born November 29, 1946) is a former American baseball coach who spent most of his career at the University of Arizona. Regarded as one of the top hitting coaches of his era, he spent 18 seasons as an assistant to Jerry Kindall, helping develop many future MLB players and contributing to Arizona’s two College World Series titles in 1980 and 1986.
Stitt grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, and played college baseball at the University of Arizona as an outfielder. He was a 3-year letterwinner, helped Arizona win the 1966 Western Athletic Conference championship, and earned All-WAC, All-District VII, and first-team ABCA All-American honors in 1968. He led the team in stolen bases and batting average in 1968, finishing with a .366 average that season and a career .326 average. Stitt was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in 1968 and spent time in the minor leagues before ending his playing career in 1969 to return to Tucson.
Stitt began coaching in 1971 at Salpointe Catholic High School in Tucson, leading the team for seven seasons. He later returned to the University of Arizona in 1979 as a hitting coach and helped the Wildcats reach the College World Series in 1979 and win it in 1980. During his time as an assistant, Arizona made the postseason eight times and appeared in the College World Series four times, with the offense posting a high batting average and producing numerous future MLB players.
In 1997, Stitt became Arizona’s head coach, a role he held through 2001. He finished with a 157-125 overall record and a 58-74 Pac-10 record, with his best season coming in 1999 when Arizona went 33-23 overall and 13-11 in conference play, earning an NCAA tournament berth. The 1999 season was his only postseason appearance as a head coach. He resigned on June 29, 2001, after five seasons as head coach and 23 seasons with the program.
After leaving Arizona, Stitt remained connected to baseball. He was inducted into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 for his playing and coaching career in Tucson. From 2005 to 2007, he was the hitting coach for the Missoula Osprey, Arizona’s Pioneer League affiliate, helping the team win the league championship in 2006. He also served briefly as a hitting coach for the Tucson Sidewinders in 2006. In 2008, he became an assistant athletics director at Pima Community College and later founded the Baja Arizona Baseball Academy.
Stitt earned a master’s degree in Education in 1973 and a doctoral degree in Education Administration in 1993, both from the University of Arizona. His work emphasized aligning athletic goals with broader educational and social goals for universities. He continues to reside in Tucson and has remained connected to the sport, including mentoring younger players and supporting Arizona baseball.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 01:53 (CET).