Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowboy Baseball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator
A coaching veteran of nearly two decades at the collegiate and professional levels, James Vilade joined the Oklahoma State staff as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator in June 2015.
Vilade came to OSU after spending the previous four seasons on the coaching staff of the Frisco RoughRiders, the Texas Rangers’ Double A affiliate.
“James has strong core values when it comes to coaching and developing young men, and his experience in the game across many levels makes him very skilled in the areas of recruiting, player development and scouting,” said OSU head coach Josh Holliday. “We look forward to the positive energy and passion James brings to our program as we continue to build strong relationships with current, future and past Cowboys. Our current and future players will benefit from James’ unique ability to teach the game and his contagious positive energy for people.
“James brings tremendous teaching experience gained not only as a college coach but also with the Texas Rangers organization while helping develop some of their elite young players over the past several seasons and working with the player development staff of one of the finest organizations in baseball.”
As the leading instructor of OSU’s infielders, Vilade has helped develop that group into elite talents. Every eligible starting infielder for the Cowboys in 2016 and 2017 was drafted by Major League Baseball, including the entire starting infield from the 2016 College World Series team.
Under Vilade’s direction, OSU finished third in the NCAA in 2016 by turning 75 double plays, and the Cowboys’ .978 fielding percentage led the Big 12 Conference and ranked 18th nationally. The .978 fielding percentage was also the second highest in school history. During the Cowboys’ NCAA Tournament run, OSU turned in a .983 fielding percentage over nine games.
Vilade also helped develop several All-Big 12 infielders in his first year on the job as Donnie Walton, J.R. Davis and Garrett Benge each earned that recognition. Walton also picked up All-America accolades.
Vilade’s arrival in Stillwater marked his return to the collegiate coaching ranks after previously spending 12 years at that level.
Vilade served two stints with Frisco and was a part of four Texas League Playoffs teams and two Texas League Finals clubs. His first tenure came in 2007 and 2008, when he was the RoughRiders’ hitting instructor and helped develop the likes of future Major League Baseball All-Star Elvis Andrus. The RoughRiders qualified for the Texas League Playoffs both of those two seasons and was named the Minor League Team of the Year in 2008.
In 2012, Vilade joined the Frisco staff again as a coach and scout after serving as a scout for the Florida Marlins in 2010 and 2011.
At the collegiate level, Vilade has enjoyed success as a head coach at two different schools — the University of Dallas and the University of Texas at Tyler. In 11 seasons, he compiled a 348-117 record, a winning percentage of .748 that ranks as the second highest in NCAA history in the state of Texas behind only Texas' Cliff Gustafson. He is also the winningest coach in American Southwest Conference history.
In four seasons at the University of Dallas, Vilade led the Crusaders to a 118-52 record. He was inducted into the UD Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.
Following his stint at UD, Vilade spent one season as an assistant at Oral Roberts, helping the Golden Eagles win a Mid-Continent Conference championship, before moving to UT Tyler to serve as the program’s first head baseball coach in 2003.
In seven seasons leading the Patriots, Vilade recorded a 201-58 record (.776 winning percentage). In 2007, he led UT Tyler to a 37-1 mark, and in 2009, the Patriots went 39-12, won their first-ever American Southwest Conference championship and earned the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth.
Vilade also spent two years as UT Tyler’s athletic director, serving in that capacity from 2008-10.
During his head coaching tenure, Vilade coached 112 all-conference players and 16 All-Americans, and over 60 players he coached went on to play professional baseball.
Vilade played baseball collegiately at Baylor, where he was a two-year letterwinner and helped the Bears win the 1993 Southwest Conference championship. A team captain at BU, he earned his degree in telecommunications from the school in 1995 before receiving a Master’s Degree in Sports Management from the United States Sports Academy in 2003.
Highly active in community and humanitarian work, Vilade founded the Keeper of The Game Foundation in 2014. That organization supports children with special needs and disabilities in and around baseball while also promoting servant leadership among players and coaches. During the George W. Bush Administration, Vilade received the United States Presidential Gold Service Award for his volunteer efforts.
Vilade and his wife Jennifer have two sons — Ryan, who is a player in the Colorado Rockies organization, and Trent — and a daughter, McKenzie.
