UMFK Names Thomas “TC” Fairfield Head Baseball Coach
Veteran coach brings 15 years of experience in player development, recruiting and program building to Fort Kent
University of Maine at Fort Kent Director of Athletics Becky Carlson has announced the appointment of Thomas “TC” Fairfield as the new head coach of the UMFK baseball program.
Fairfield brings 15 years of coaching experience spanning NCAA Division I and Division II baseball, California community colleges, high school and youth programs, and some of the country’s most competitive collegiate summer leagues.
“TC brings a combination of high-level baseball knowledge, positive energy, recruiting expertise and proven program-building experience to UMFK,” Carlson said.
A native of San Jose, California, Fairfield has built his career around pitching development, recruiting, program growth and preparing student-athletes to succeed on the field, in the classroom and within their communities.
Fairfield began his coaching career in 2011 as a camp coordinator with RBI Baseball California and an assistant coach at Evergreen High School in San Jose. He later served as a graduate assistant coach at NCAA Division I San Jose State University from 2014 to 2017. During that period, Fairfield also founded a youth travel baseball organization in Scotts Valley, California.
He moved to NCAA Division II California State University, East Bay in 2018, serving as the Pioneers’ pitching coach through the 2019 season.
Fairfield then joined Ohlone College as pitching coach from 2020 through 2023. He helped the Renegades reach the California Community College Athletic Association State Final Four in 2022. That Ohlone team won 36 consecutive games and completed an undefeated conference season.
In 2024, Fairfield became the pitching coach, recruiting coordinator and a kinesiology professor at Gavilan College. He helped lead a significant turnaround for a program that had gone winless during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Gavilan recorded 11 victories during Fairfield’s season with the program.
Fairfield spent the 2025 and 2026 seasons at Coalinga College, where he served as associate head coach, recruiting coordinator, pitching coach and kinesiology professor. Coalinga had won only two games during the season before his arrival. With Fairfield on staff, the program recorded 16 overall victories and eight conference wins, achieving its best conference finish and highest victory total in 15 years.
Fairfield also compiled a 5-4 record while serving as Coalinga’s acting head coach. That record included a 5-2 mark during the 2026 season and gave him the highest head-coaching winning percentage in program history.
Throughout his career, Fairfield has helped develop more than a dozen players who advanced to professional baseball. That group includes five Major League Baseball Draft selections and World Series champion Alex Vesia.
Fairfield also possesses extensive leadership experience in collegiate summer baseball. He served as head coach of the South Bay Storm in the Bay Area Collegiate League from 2018 through 2022 before leading the DubSea Fish Sticks of the Pacific International League in 2023.
In 2024, Fairfield worked as associate head coach of the Kamloops NorthPaws in the prestigious West Coast League. He became head coach of the Alameda Merchants in the California Collegiate League for the 2025 season.
Before beginning his coaching career, Fairfield competed as a pitcher. He played one season at Mission College in Santa Clara, California, before joining the baseball program at Pacific University in Oregon. During high school, he played first base, outfield and pitcher for Westmont High School.
Fairfield earned an associate degree in communications from West Valley College and a bachelor’s degree in media arts and broadcasting from Pacific University. He later completed a Master of Arts in Kinesiology at Fresno Pacific University. His experience as both a coach and kinesiology professor has helped shape an individualized approach to player development that emphasizes physical preparation, the mental side of baseball and strong relationships between coaches and student-athletes.
Passion, honesty, integrity and adaptability form the foundation of Fairfield’s coaching philosophy. He prioritizes recruiting good people, committed students and athletes who possess a consistent willingness to learn and improve. His vision for UMFK baseball also emphasizes campus involvement, community engagement and relationships that extend beyond a student-athlete’s playing career.
Fairfield officially began his duties at UMFK on August 20, 2026.
For additional information about UMFK baseball, visit athletics.umfk.edu.