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Andy Lopez

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Andy Lopez
Current position
Record490–324–1 (.602)
Biographical details
Born (1953-11-30) November 30, 1953 (age 71)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Alma materUCLA
Playing career
Position(s)SS
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1983–1988Cal State Dominguez Hills
1989–1994Pepperdine
1995–2001Florida
2002–2015Arizona
Head coaching record
Overall1,177–742–7 (.613)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
Awards
  • 3× National Coach of the Year (1992, 1996, 2012)
  • 3× CCAA Coach of the Year (1985–1987)
  • 4× WCC Coach of the Year (1989, 1991–1993)
  • SEC Coach of the Year (1996)
  • Pac-12 Coach of the Year (2012)
College Baseball Hall of Fame
Inducted in 2022

Andrew Lopez (born November 30, 1953) is an American former college baseball coach. He was most recently the head baseball coach at the University of Arizona, and has served as the head baseball coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills, Pepperdine, and Florida. Lopez compiled an overall win–loss record of 1,177–742–7 in thirty-three seasons as a head coach.

He is one of only three coaches to lead three different programs to the College World Series and one of only two coaches, along with Augie Garrido, to win the College World Series with two different programs. His Division I teams (Pepperdine, Florida, and Arizona) have appeared in the postseason seventeen out of twenty-six seasons. He has earned National Coach of the Year honors two times, and Conference Coach of the Year honors eight times.

Lopez began his head coaching career at Cal State Dominguez Hills, a Division II school, in 1983 and built the program into a national championship contender. The Toros won back-to-back California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Championships in 1986 and 1987. He was also named CCAA Coach of the Year in three consecutive seasons from 1985 to 1987. In six seasons as the head coach at Cal State Dominguez Hills, he compiled a 168-152-2 (.525) record.

In 1989, he was hired as the head coach of the Pepperdine Waves baseball team at Pepperdine University. In six seasons, he compiled a 241-107-3 (.692) record. In just his first season, he went 41-19-1, and ultimately won four consecutive post-season tournaments. In 1992, his team won the only National Championship in school history. The 3–2 victory over Cal-State Fullerton earned him consensus National Coach of the Year honors.

During his seven seasons coaching the Florida Gators baseball team at the University of Florida, he compiled a 278-159-1 (.636) record. He won two Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships and appeared in five NCAA tournaments and two College World Series. While at UF, he coached future major leaguers David Eckstein, Mark Ellis, Brad Wilkerson, David Ross, Ryan Shealy, and Josh Fogg. He also averaged 39 wins per season, including a school record 50 games and a College World Series appearance in 1996. Lopez, however, was controversial with some Gators faithful for not recruiting local players and for not extending scholarships to players that he did not recruit to the program. His tenure crested with a second College World Series appearance in 1998. Following a 35–27 season in 2001, Florida fired him.

After being dismissed by the University of Florida, Lopez was hired as head coach of the Arizona Wildcats baseball team at the University of Arizona. In his fourteen seasons as head coach, U of A qualified for the NCAA tournament eight times, including two College World Series appearances and one national championship. His 2012 national championship team went undefeated in post-season play winning 10 games, three at the Tucson Regional, two at the Super Regional against St. John's at Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, and five at the College World Series in Omaha. Lopez is only the second coach in NCAA history to win the CWS with two different teams. As the Wildcats' head coach, Lopez had an overall record of 490–324–1 (.601), and a conference record of 186–183 (.504).

Lopez announced his retirement on May 25, 2015, in a press conference alongside Athletic Director Greg Byrne.[1]

On July 18, 2017, the American Baseball Coaches Association announced that they would induct Andy Lopez into their 2018 Hall of Fame Class.

In 2022, Lopez was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame.[2]

Head coaching record

[edit]
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Cal State Dominguez Hills (California Collegiate Athletic Association) (1983–1988)
1983 Cal State Dominguez Hills 15–27 8–19
1984 Cal State Dominguez Hills 25–35–1 11–19
1985 Cal State Dominguez Hills 34–23 20–10
1986 Cal State Dominguez Hills 32–22–1 19–11 1st NCAA Regional
1987 Cal State Dominguez Hills 43–15 23–7 1st College World Series
1988 Cal State Dominguez Hills 19–30 10–20
Cal State Dominguez Hills: 168–152–2 91–86
Pepperdine Waves (West Coast Conference) (1989–1994)
1989 Pepperdine 41–19–1 20–4 1st NCAA Regional
1990 Pepperdine 37–23 24–12 2nd
1991 Pepperdine 41–17–1 25–10 1st NCAA Regional
1992 Pepperdine 48–11–1 23–4 1st College World Series champions
1993 Pepperdine 41–17 24–6 1st NCAA Regional
1994 Pepperdine 33–20 20–10 2nd
Pepperdine: 241–107–3 136–46
Florida Gators (Southeastern Conference) (1995–2001)
1995 Florida 32–24 12–14 T–2nd (East)
1996 Florida 50–18 20–10 1st (East) College World Series
1997 Florida 40–24 17–13 T–1st (East) NCAA Regional
1998 Florida 46–18 21–8 1st (East) College World Series
1999 Florida 31–25 13–17 T–2nd (East)
2000 Florida 44–23–1 18–11–1 2nd (East) NCAA Regional
2001 Florida 35–27 16–14 4th (East) NCAA Regional
Florida: 278–159–1 117–87–1
Arizona Wildcats (Pac–12 Conference) (2002–present)
2002 Arizona 31–24 9–15 T–7th
2003 Arizona 35–23 13–11 4th NCAA Regional
2004 Arizona 36–27–1 12–12 5th College World Series
2005 Arizona 39–21 17–7 2nd NCAA Regional
2006 Arizona 27–28 12–12 4th
2007 Arizona 42–17 15–9 2nd NCAA Regional
2008 Arizona 42–19 12–12 T–4th NCAA Super Regional
2009 Arizona 30–25 13–14 T–5th
2010 Arizona 34–24 12–15 T–7th NCAA Regional
2011 Arizona 39–21 15–12 4th NCAA Regional
2012 Arizona 48–17 20–10 T–1st College World Series champions
2013 Arizona 34–21 15–15 t–6th
2014 Arizona 22–33 9–21 10th
2015 Arizona 31–24 12–18 8th
Arizona: 490–324–1 186–183
Total: 1177–742–7

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Andy Lopez Announces Retirement". ArizonaWildcats.com. University of Arizona. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  2. ^ Star, Arizona Daily. "Former Arizona baseball coach Andy Lopez named to National College Baseball Hall of Fame". Arizona Daily Star. Retrieved 2023-03-14.