Jim Wells

Jim Wells Keeps Alabama Baseball at High Tide

Bossier City native Jim Wells has developed into one of the top college baseball coaches in America, and that's without the benefit of experience as a high school or college player.

Wells is the winningest coach in the University of Alabama baseball history with 522 victories in his first 12 seasons. In that period his teams won two outright league titles (1996 and 2006). He guided the Crimson Tide to six titles in the Southeastern Conference tournament, more than any other coach in the league. Three times his Crimson Tide teams have earned their way into the College World Series in Omaha - in 1996, 1997 and 1999. In 1997, only his third season at the Alabama helm, his team was the national collegiate runner-up.

Wells' Bama teams had a .679 win percentage (522-246) entering the 2007 season. His career mark at that stage was 714 wins and 335 losses, a .682 win percentage in 17 years that include five seasons as Northwestern State's baseball coach.

After honing his skills in summer leagues in his hometown and at Loyola College Prep, Wells became a graduate assistant at LSU and perfected his craft under renowned baseball coach Skip Bertman.

When his time came to be a head coach, he quickly succeeded. He guided Northwestern State, his alma mater, to a trio of Southland Conference championships and 192 wins in his five seasons in Natchitoches. He was chosen the Southland Coach of the Year in 1991, 1993 and 1994. In 1994, he was chosen& Louisiana Coach of the Year. Wells was named head baseball coach at Alabama in 1995 and quickly turned a downtrodden program around and began challenging his old mentor Bertman for the role of most successful coach in the SEC.By 1997, the Crimson Tide notched a 56-14 record, one of the best in school history.

While at LSU Wells helped mold the talents of pitcher Ben McDonald and outfielder Albert Belle, now members of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.