Jim Wing, a Pima County Sports Hall of Fame baseball coach who helped Arizona win NCAA championships in 1976, 1980 and 1986, died Sunday, Nov. 3, in Tucson. He was 88.
Wing was the UA’s pitching coach from 1973-92 under Jerry Kindall.
Former University of Arizona head baseball coach Jerry Kindall, left, chats with his former assistant Jim Wing at Frank Sancet Field during the annual alumni game in 2005.
After helping Tucson High School win the 1954 state championship, Wing went on to be the head coach at Palo Verde High School until he was hired as Kindall’s first pitching coach at Arizona.
Wing coached 12 pitchers who reached the major leagues, including Palo Verde’s Andy Hassler and Bob Lacey, and the UA’s Ed Vosberg, Scott Erickson, Gil Heredia and Joe Magrane.
Jim Wing
Current Arizona coach Chip Hale played under Kindall and was a member of the 1986 squad that won the College World Series.
Although Hale was an infielder, he said Wing was “like a second dad” during his playing days.
“Coach Kindall, Coach (Jerry) Stitt and Coach Wing, they were our mentors,” Hale said Monday.
After he became Arizona’s coach in 2021, Hale and his staff maintained a relationship with Wing.
“We tried to go see him at least once a month,” Hale said. “He was an unbelievable reference for our coaches, just talking baseball. He was constantly watching us.”
Arizona has unofficially named its new pitching lab inside the Terry Francona Hitting Center at Hi Corbett Field the “Pitching Wing” after Jim Wing. Hale is hopeful that signage and wall graphics will be in place by Christmas.
Funeral services are pending.
