Born in Stanton, California,[2] Van Horn graduated from Winnetonka High School in Kansas City, Missouri in 1979.

As a Razorback, Van Horn would earn All-Southwest Conference and SWC Newcomer of the Year awards for his performance.

Coach Van Horn met his wife, the former Karen Lee, while serving as a graduate assistant at Arkansas.

Van Horn's subsequent teams have had plenty of success as well, reaching the College World Series nine times, seven occurring at Arkansas (2004, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018, 2019, 2022), the other two during his tenure at Nebraska (2001 and 2002).

The Hogs next defeated Florida State twice at Dick Howser Stadium to punch their ticket to the College World Series.

Arkansas went 46–22 in 2012, which was the most wins in the Van Horn era and the most for a Razorback team since 1990, but limped into the postseason at the Houston Regional having lost both games it played at the SEC Tournament.

The Gamecocks got them back though, winning 2–0 and 3–2 in the next two games to advance to the final, only to lose to upstart Arizona in the best-of-three championship series.

Arkansas won the Stillwater Regional by defeating Oral Roberts, host Oklahoma State and St. John's in succession.

It took all three games of the best-of-3 series, but Arkansas defeated the Bears to clinch Van Horn's sixth trip to Omaha overall and fourth with the Razorbacks, tying him with former coach Norm DeBriyn.

The 3-game series went the distance before the Razorbacks defeated the Gamecocks to clinch its fifth trip to Omaha of Van Horn's tenure, and ninth in program history, with a 14–4 victory on June 11.

Arkansas defeated Florida in an elimination game for the Gators to earn a trip to the CWS finals against the Oregon State Beavers.

The Razorbacks were on the verge of securing their first baseball national championship but misplayed a foul ball with two outs in the 9th inning of Game 2, which would have ended the series and given Arkansas the title.

The team went to Stillwater again, dispatching Grand Canyon and #7 national seed Oklahoma State twice to advance to the super regional, where the Razorbacks had to travel to Chapel Hill.

Arkansas upended the #10 national seed Tar Heels in two games to secure Van Horn's seventh trip to Omaha as the Hog boss and ninth overall.

The defeat marked another failed attempt ln Van Horn’s National Championship pursuit, as he now has the most CWS appearances among active head coaches (9) along with Kevin O’Sullivan of Florida.