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Tom House

Position: Volunteer Assistant Coach

Tom House spent four seasons (2008-2011) as USC's pitching coach before announcing his retirement from coaching after the 2011 season.

During the 2009 season, his pitching staff recorded a 4.06 ERA which tied USC for 10th in the nation.

House, who played at USC in 1967, is a well-known pitching guru with an extensive background. After being selected by the Atlanta Braves in the third round (48th overall) of the 1967 secondary draft, House made his major league debut in 1971. He would play through the 1978 season with career stops at Atlanta, Boston and Seattle.

He went 5-3 with a 1.43 ERA in 94 2/3 innings during his 1967 season at USC. In his 289 major league appearances, House compiled a 29-23 record with a 3.79 ERA and 33 saves.

His historic tie to baseball came on April 8, 1974, when he caught Hank Aaron's 715th home run ball in the Braves' bullpen in left field. Photos of him catching the ball and presenting it to Aaron are in the Baseball Hall of Fame. During that season, House recorded his best season as a pro after going 6-2 with a 1.93 ERA and 11 saves (56 games, 102 2/3 IP, 74 H, 27 BB, 64 SO). House worked as a pitching coach for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres and Texas Rangers.

He has been instrumental in researching ways to improve the health and performance of pitchers at all levels. Prior to joining the USC staff, he was the founder and CEO of the National Pitching Association, based in San Diego, which provided pitchers, parents and coaches with three-dimensional motion analysis, functional strength screens, mental/emotional profiles and nutritional assessments.

House graduated from USC in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in management. He earned his first master's degree in marketing in 1974 and his second master's degree in performance psychology in 1981 before earning his doctorate based in psychology in 1984.