KINGSVILLE, Texas – Javelina Athletics and Athletic Director Steve Roach, has announced the promotion of interim softball coach Orlando Salinas to the full-time position on Monday, Aug. 10.
Salinas takes the reins full-time after serving as the interim coach of the Javelina softball program for the majority of the team's 2023 campaign. On the year, the Javelinas posted an overall record of 24-26 (21-20 LSC), with the team going 22-18 with Salinas as the interim coach.
"I am excited to name Coach Salinas as our full-time head coach," said athletic director Roach. "He has brought a passion and energy to the program since being named interim that fully embodies what it means to be a Javelina on and off the field. That passion and energy are infectious, and we have been able to see that within our student-athletes and the great culture he has established within our softball program."
Additionally, in 2023, Salinas coached senior Jory Cervantes to being named Second-Team All-Region by the Division II Conference Commissioners Association as well as being named First-Team All-LSC with Kayla Gonzales.
Before serving as the interim coach for TAMUK, Salinas had been serving as an assistant coach for the Texas A&M – Corpus Christi softball program.
An alum of TAMUK, Salinas graduated in 1996 with a degree in Kinesiology. Salinas was a member of the inaugural Javelina Baseball team coached by his father and Javelina Athletics Hall of Famer Hector Salinas in 1993.
After graduating, Salinas stayed in Kingsville, serving as an assistant coach for the baseball team through the 1998 season.
Salinas has been coaching and instructing softball players in south Texas for over 25 years out of the S3 Academy which he has owned and operated since 1995.
Orlando's coaching pedigree includes his father Hector, who was selected to build the Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball program when it was initiated in 1993. Two of Salinas' clubs won Lone Star Conference championships in 1995 and 1998.
The 1998 team was selected for the NCAA Division II national playoffs, becoming the first Javelina club so recognized. He was the LSC coach of the year in 1995 and inducted into the Javelina Hall of Fame in 2012.
You can keep up with Javelina softball all year long by following @TAMUKSB and @JavelinaSports on both Twitter and Instagram, liking the Javelina Sports Facebook page, subscribing to the Javelina Athletics YouTube Channel and visiting Javelinaathletics.com. Watch your Javelinas live today on the Lone Star Conference Digital Network.
