Bob Fannin
Assistant Baseball Coach / Hitting Coach

In his seventh season as a member of the Lubbock Christian University staff is Chap Hitting Coach Bob Fannin.  A former player for the Chaps in his junior and senior seasons, Fannin brings a wealth of baseball knowledge and experience to the position for which he excels on the LCU staff.  He has been hugely instrumental in the Chaps 2009 and 2006 NAIA World Series appearances. His hitters are perennially among the best in the country, both for power and average.  In 2009, LCU ranked second in the NAIA in batting average (.382) and led the nation in doubles (167) and triples (31).

A junior college transfer from Ranger (where he was a 19th round draft pick by the Texas Rangers in 1981), Fannin was a part of LCU’s 1983 National Championship team and he was drafted later that summer by the San Francisco Giants in the 16th round.  In 1984, Fannin was named an NAIA 1st-Team All-American and was drafted once again, this time by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 19th round.

Fannin served as an assistant coach under Larry Hays and began his head coaching career in 2001 when he became the head baseball coach at Trinity Christian High School in Lubbock, Texas.  He held that post for two years before moving on to Midland Christian High School in Midland, Texas, where he coached for a year before coming to LCU in 2003.  Coach Fannin is the proud father of son Luke (16) and daughter Madison (14).

Jeff Steele
Assistant Baseball Coach / Pitching Coach

In his fifth season with the Lubbock Christian University Chaparrals is Pitching Coach Jeff Steele, who made quite a debut in the 2006 season as he helped lead the Chaps to a third place finish in the World Series.

Steele has been very active over the last four seasons in not only putting a productive Chap pitching staff together, but in recruiting as well.  Last season saw two members of his pitching staff receive pro baseball recognition, as Rene Garcia signed with the Chicago White Sox and Jacob Cunningham signed with Shreveport-Bossier of the American Association.  In 2009, the LCU pitching staff ranked third in the NAIA with an average of 8.3 strikeouts per game and fourth in opposition batting average (.239).

Prior to moving to Lubbock, Steele spent one year as the Assistant Coach at Chattanooga State Community College in Tennessee.  During his one year stint at CSTCC, Steele worked primarily with the pitching staff, helping lead the Tigers to thirty-seven wins, a nine win improvement from the 2004 season, while lowering the team ERA by over two runs per game (4.02).  He spends the summers as the head coach of the Wilson Tobs (NC) of the Coastal Plain League (collegiate summer league).

A native of British Columbia, Canada, Steele began his playing career at Collin County (TX) Community College where he was an All-Conference and All-Region pitcher.  Transferring to Oklahoma Baptist University for his junior and senior seasons, Steele was an All-American in 2004, posting a 10-1 record with a 3.14 ERA in ninety-seven innings.

He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Sciences with a minor in Business Administration from Oklahoma Baptist University.  He also completed a Master’s Degree in Education Administration from Lubbock Christian University.

The Lubbock Christian University baseball program also includes Jeff Richardson, Volunteer Assistant Coach; Darby Brown, Graduate Assistant/Head JV Coach; and Zack Barnard,  Strength & Conditioning Coach.