(As of June, 2023)
Chris Pritchett just completed his eighth season as head coach of the UBC Thunderbirds.
He was appointed to the position on July 4, 2015, and since then, the T-Birds have accumulated an overall record of 210-144 and a conference record of 123-65. Under Pritchett's leadership, the 'Birds have earned four berths to the NAIA World Series Opening Round. Pritchett has earned NAIA West Coach of the Year honours twice, in 2015 and 2019, when he was a co-winner.
Before UBC, Pritchett was an international scout for the Boston Red Sox from 2010-15, and served as hitting coach for the Class A (SS) Vancouver Canadians in 2007.
A graduate of Central Catholic High School in Modesto, Calif., Pritchett was an All-American at UCLA, earning All-Pac 10 honours as a sophomore and setting the school record for hits in a single season.
He was then drafted by the California Angels in the second round of the 1991 amateur draft and made his Major League Baseball debut with the California Angels on September 6, 1996. Pritchett’s professional career spanned 13 years, playing a total of 61 Major League games over a four-year period. He spent 10 years with the Angels organization, and a year each with the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Chicago Cubs.
After retiring in 2003, Pritchett returned to UCLA and completed his Bachelor of Arts degree. He also went on to study Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention at the National Academy of Sports Medicine and received a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science.
Pritchett currently resides in Vancouver with his wife Saffron and two sons, Otis and Casey.
