Collegiate Baseball ranked Fullerton's 2001 baseball recruiting class best in the nation. The team didn't disappoint, finishing 48-18 overall with their best national showing since winning it all in 1995. Horton's squad was one of the final four teams in the College World Series before falling to Stanford.

The 2000 Titans finished 38-21. In 1999, the team went 50-14 and advanced to the College World Series for the first time with Horton as head coach. The Titans won the Big West Conference championship and Regional and Super Regional titles. Fullerton was ranked No. 6 in final national rankings. The school's baseball program is 222-94 under Horton, giving him a total record of 401-129 at the school.

Horton fulfilled a life-long dream of being a Division I head coach in 1996, when he was promoted to replace Augie Garrido at Cal State Fullerton, who left to take over at the University of Texas. For six years, Horton had served as the associate head coach as the Titans posted a 264-99 record and made three trips to the College World Series, winning the 1995 NCAA championship and placing second in 1992 and third in 1994.

Coach Horton graduated from Cal State Fullerton in 1978 and received his Master's Degree from California Lutheran University in 1980.

Coach Horton's coaching career can be described in only one way, dominant. In his 23-year coaching career, he has been on the staff of two NCAA Division I National Championship teams and appeared in five NCAA Division I Regional Playoffs. He was also the head coach of four California Community College State Championship squads and was named National Community College Coach of the Year four times. His teams won 10 conference championships.

In 1994, Coach Horton was inducted into the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.