Coaches
Josh Simpson, Head Coach E-mail >>
Coach Josh Simpson is entering his first season as Head Coach at New Mexico Junior College. Simpson started his coaching career as an Assistant at Lamar Community College in Lamar, CO, in 2005. During his tenure at Lamar, the team won the Region IX Championship and finished second at the Western District Playoffs with an overall record of 51-11 and a final ranking of fourth in the country. After one year at Lamar, Simpson joined the University of New Mexico Coaching Staff, where he served as the volunteer coach for the 2006 season. In 2007, Simpson became the Hitting Coach at Central Arizona College. While at Central, Simpson helped coach the team to the 2007 Region I Championship and a second place finish at the Western District Playoffs, with an overall record of 43-21. Coach Simpson spent the summers of 2005 and 2006 as the Hitting Coach for the Waterloo Bucks of the Northwoods League. This past summer, he helped guide the Cheyenne Post 6 American Legion to their seventh straight state championship.
Simpson started his playing career at El Paso Community College, where his 2001 team won the conference title. Following EPCC, Simpson moved on to Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where he finished a successful career. While at Northwestern, Simpson earned a B.S. in Wellness Promotion.
Matt Torrez, Assistant Coach E-mail >>
Prior to joining NMJC Athletics as the Assistant Baseball Coach in 2008, Matthew Torrez helped lead several other college and university baseball teams to victory. Now he looks forward to doing the same with the NMJC T-Birds as both Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.
Torrez began as the Head Coach at Prairie High School in Brush, Colorado, where he was also Head Legion Coach. After this he moved to University of Wisconsin-Parkside to serve as Assistant Coach. In the four years he was there, Torrez assisted in leading the program from last place in the conference to a season of 40 back-to-back wins in 2004. Even more impressive, the team made a first place finish in their regular season, a NCAA Division II Tournament Bid, an appearance in the Regional Championship game and then won the Conference Championship.
Following his time at Parkside, Torrez was the hitting and defensive coach at Darton College in Albany, Georgia. During his time there, he helped take the team to a second place finish in the conference. His next stop was Clarendon College in Pampa, Texas, and a berth in the NJCAA Regional Tournament with the second most wins in the school’s history. In 2007, Torrez was a part of Barton County Community College in Great Bend, Kansas, when their baseball team took an NJCAA Regional berth.
“I’ve been blessed with the kids I’ve worked with,” said Torrez. “Five of the students I’ve had the opportunity to work with went on to become professional athletes. In the classes I’ve recruited, there have been 14 All-Conference players, 11 All-Region players, and one All-American player. I’m very proud of all of my athletes.”
Torrez continues, “I’m looking forward to working with Coach Simpson and our team. Like all teams nationwide, we have a lot of challenges ahead, but if we work hard, we will also have a lot of rewards.”
Torrez is a native of Brush, Colorado, and played baseball at both Colby Community College in Colby, Kansas, and at Metropolitan State College of Denver, Colorado. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Sports Management from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Torrez is the proud father of Austin, his 13-year old son.