Lance Spigner is a highly accomplished baseball coach with over three decades of experience building championship programs at the high school, junior college, and now NCAA Division I levels. Currently serving as Assistant Coach and Camp Coordinator for the University of Central Arkansas (UCA) Bears Baseball program since July 2023, he brings a wealth of knowledge, proven success, and a strong emphasis on player development, ethics, and team culture to the role. A former UCA Bear himself, Spigner walked on to the team in the late 1980s, became a four-year starting outfielder, and earned All-Conference honors during his playing career.
Before joining UCA, Spigner was the Head Baseball Coach at UA Rich Mountain in Mena, Arkansas (July 2019 – May 2023), where he built the program from the ground up. In his standout 2022 season, he guided the team to the NJCAA Region 2 Championship with 38 overall wins and a dominant 27-5 conference record, earning NJCAA Region 2/Division 2 Coach of the Year honors.
From 1991 to 2019, Spigner spent 28 years as Head Baseball Coach and Athletic Director at Horatio High School in Horatio, Arkansas, transforming the program into one of the state’s most dominant. His teams captured five Arkansas High School State Championships (1997, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2016), reached the state tournament Final Four 13 times, won 10 Regional Championships, and secured 17 Conference/District titles. He amassed a career high school record of 658-311, showcasing consistent excellence over nearly three decades.
Spigner’s contributions have been widely recognized with prestigious awards, including the American Baseball Coaches Association’s (ABCA) Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award in 2021 (presented in 2022), honoring his integrity, character, and commitment to teaching life lessons through the game. He has also been named ABCA/Diamond Sports Region 6 Coach of the Year three times (2000, 2007, 2015), Texarkana Gazette Southwest Arkansas/Northeast Texas High School Coach of the Year five times (1997, 2005, 2007, 2015, 2016), and NJCAA Region 2 Coach of the Year (2022). In 2002, he served as a Major League Baseball Envoy to England, and he was honored as Horatio High School Teacher of the Year for 2002-2003. He has frequently been selected as District Coach of the Year, All-Star Coach, and more.
A native of Ashdown, Arkansas, Spigner holds a B.S.E. in Physical Education (with a History minor and social studies emphasis) from the University of Central Arkansas.
Known for his dedication to developing not just better ballplayers but better men, Spigner continues to impact the game through coaching, camps, and community involvement at UCA.
