Rick Vanderhook, Cal State Fullerton Titans

Rick Vanderhook is in his sixth season as head coach of the Cal State Fullerton Titans. In his first five years at the Titans’ dugout helm, Vanderhook has guided Fullerton to five NCAA Regional appearances, including two Super Regional appearances and a trip to the 2015 College World Series. Thus far in 2017, the Titans opened the campaign with a 21-10 record, including a 5-1 mark in the Big West, and are ranked eighth in the nation by Baseball America and ninth in the coaches poll.

The 2017 season is his 27th as a Titan. He played his final two seasons at Cal State Fullerton after transferring from Cerritos College, where he played for head coach George Horton. He was a member of the Titans’ 1984 national championship team, earning his first of three Cal State Fullerton championship rings.

Vanderhook began his coaching career as an assistant to Titans head coach Augie Garrido from 1985-87, serving as the bullpen coach for the first two years before stepping into the third base coaching box and working with the hitters and defense in 1987.  He remained on staff in 1988 under Larry Cochell but then spent two seasons (1989-1990) as an assistant to former Fullerton assistant coach Bill Kernen at Cal State Northridge.  Vanderhook returned to Cal State Fullerton with Garrido in 1991 and remained through the 2007 season.

Vanderhook then spent three seasons (2009-11) as an assistant coach to John Savage at UCLA, where he helped lead the Bruins to a conference title, a pair of postseason appearances and a runner-up finish at the 2010 College World Series.

On June 24, 2011, Vanderhook was announced as the program’s fifth Division I head coach. Vanderhook led the Titans to a 51-10 record in 2013, the second-best winning percentage (.836) in program history, trailing only the national championship squad from 1995 (57-9, .864). The 51 wins were also the fourth most in program history. In 2015, Vanderhook was named the American Baseball Coaches Association West Region Coach of the Year. In 2016, Vanderhook earned his fourth Big West Conference Coach of the Year award in five seasons. He led the Titans to a 36-23 record during the season and  a Big West Confernce title, the 21st in the program’s history and his fourth in five years. Fullerton advanced to the NCAA Postseason for the 25th straight season and recorded a 30-win s...