Loyola Marymount announced Thursday that it has hired Jason Gill to replace Frank Cruz as head coach. Gill has spent the last four years as an assistant to George Horton at Cal State Fullerton and then Oregon, but he has LMU ties–he was an assistant there in 1999 and 2000, the last two years the Lions reached regionals.

"I’m excited to make my return to LMU, a program that has always held a special place in my heart," Gill said in a release. "The people in and around the Lion family have always been supportive, and I look forward to re-joining that group as the head baseball coach. I believe in the direction that (athletics director) Dr. (William) Husak is taking the program and the athletic department, and I feel that LMU as a whole is structured and ready to win from top to bottom. Upon reflecting on my personal experiences at the university, and talking to current and former coaches, it is extremely clear that LMU is destined for great things. The bottom line is it is a great time to be a Lion."

Privately, Gill has expressed confidence that the Lions will be able to attract good players in Southern California and will be able to win. He has already proven himself as one of the best recruiters in that region and has plenty of connections there thanks to his work with Fullerton, LMU and UC Irvine. He has secured his reputation as one of the top up-and-coming coaches on the West Coast, and Loyola Marymount did very well to land him.

"Jason is widely respected and has been regarded as one of the premier assistant coaches and recruiters in the country over the past few years," Husak said. "His experience coaching at college baseball’s highest levels, coupled with his previous years coaching at LMU, makes him a great fit for our program. There is no doubt that Jason is ready to take the reigns as our head coach and we feel that he will create an environment that will allow our student-athletes to compete for championships, graduate and grow as people.  Jason was on the coaching staff the last time our program made the postseason, and it is our goal to have many more trips under his guidance."

Gill’s staff is already intact, as former Cruz assistants Drew Keehn and Scott Walter are still under contract. Gill said he knows Walter from his coaching days at LMU, when Walter was a standout player.