Andy Lopez
Encyclopedia
Andy Lopez is an American college baseball
coach. He is currently the head baseball coach at the University of Arizona
, and he has previously served as the head baseball coach at California State University Dominguez Hills, Pepperdine University
and the University of Florida
. Lopez has compiled an overal win-loss record of 1,042–647–7 record in twenty-eight seasons as a head coach.
He is one of only ten active coaches to have won a national championship, as well as one of only three coaches to lead three different programs to the College World Series
. His teams have appeared in the postseason sixteen out of twenty-eight seasons. He has earned National Coach of the Year honors two times, and Conference Coach of the Year honors eight times.
He began his coaching career at Cal State Dominguez Hills in 1983. The team won CCAA
championships, and became a Division II national championship contender. From 1986 to 1987, his teams won back to back CCAA championships, and later won the D-II College World Series. In six seasons as the head coach, he compiled a 168-152-2(.525) record.
In 1989, he was hired as the head baseball coach at Pepperdine. In six seasons, he compiled a 241-107-3(.691) record. In only 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 at the University of Florida
, he compiled a 278-159-1(.636) record. He won two Southeastern Conference
(SEC) championships, five NCAA Tournament appearances, and two College World series appearances. While at UF, he coached major leaguers David Eckstein, Mark Ellis, Brad Wilkerson, David Ross, Ryan Shealy and Josh Fogg. He also averaged an impressive 40 wins per season, including a school record 50 games in 1996. Lopez, however, was controversial with some University of Florida faithful for not recruiting local players and for not extending scholarships to players that he did not recruit to the program. Eventually, Lopez suffered declining success as evidenced by the 35-27 record in 2001, his last year at the University of Florida, and was let go by University of Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley.
In ten seasons as the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats baseball
team at the University of Arizona, he has returned the Wildcats to national prominence. Lopez has had four top-10 recruiting classes, the Wildcats have qualified for the NCAA tournament seven times, and he has compiled a win-loss record of 355–229–1 (.608), including 130–119 in Pac-10 conference play.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
coach. He is currently the head baseball coach at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, and he has previously served as the head baseball coach at California State University Dominguez Hills, Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University
Pepperdine University is an independent, private, medium-sized university affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The university's campus overlooking the Pacific Ocean in unincorporated Los Angeles County, California, United States, near Malibu, is the location for Seaver College, the School of...
and the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
. Lopez has compiled an overal win-loss record of 1,042–647–7 record in twenty-eight seasons as a head coach.
He is one of only ten active coaches to have won a national championship, as well as one of only three coaches to lead three different programs to the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
. His teams have appeared in the postseason sixteen out of twenty-eight seasons. He has earned National Coach of the Year honors two times, and Conference Coach of the Year honors eight times.
He began his coaching career at Cal State Dominguez Hills in 1983. The team won CCAA
California Collegiate Athletic Association
The California Collegiate Athletic Association or CCAA is an intercollegiate athletic conference in the Division II of the NCAA. All of its current members are public universities, and all except for UC San Diego are members of the California State University system.It was founded in December 1938...
championships, and became a Division II national championship contender. From 1986 to 1987, his teams won back to back CCAA championships, and later won the D-II College World Series. In six seasons as the head coach, he compiled a 168-152-2(.525) record.
In 1989, he was hired as the head baseball coach at Pepperdine. In six seasons, he compiled a 241-107-3(.691) record. In only 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 at the University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, he compiled a 278-159-1(.636) record. He won two Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
(SEC) championships, five NCAA Tournament appearances, and two College World series appearances. While at UF, he coached major leaguers David Eckstein, Mark Ellis, Brad Wilkerson, David Ross, Ryan Shealy and Josh Fogg. He also averaged an impressive 40 wins per season, including a school record 50 games in 1996. Lopez, however, was controversial with some University of Florida faithful for not recruiting local players and for not extending scholarships to players that he did not recruit to the program. Eventually, Lopez suffered declining success as evidenced by the 35-27 record in 2001, his last year at the University of Florida, and was let go by University of Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley.
In ten seasons as the head coach of the Arizona Wildcats baseball
Arizona Wildcats baseball
The Arizona Wildcats baseball team is the intercollegiate men's baseball program representing the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The team competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The baseball team had its first season in 1904...
team at the University of Arizona, he has returned the Wildcats to national prominence. Lopez has had four top-10 recruiting classes, the Wildcats have qualified for the NCAA tournament seven times, and he has compiled a win-loss record of 355–229–1 (.608), including 130–119 in Pac-10 conference play.
Head coaching record
See also
- Arizona WildcatsArizona Wildcats-Athletic program:The University of Arizona participates in the NCAA's Division I-A in the Pacific-12 Conference Arizona participates in the conference's South Division, along with Arizona State, Colorado, UCLA, USC, and Utah...
- Florida GatorsFlorida GatorsThe Florida Gators are the intercollegiate sports teams that represent the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida. The "Lady Gators" is an alternative nickname sometimes used by the Gators women's teams...
- History of the University of FloridaHistory of the University of FloridaThe history of the University of Florida is firmly tied to the history of public education in the state of Florida. The University of Florida, colloquially known as "Florida" or "UF," originated as several distinct institutions that were merged to create a single state-supported university by the...
- Pepperdine WavesPepperdine WavesPepperdine Waves is the name given to the sports teams of the Pepperdine University.-See also:* Pepperdine Waves alumni* 2011-12 Pepperdine Waves men's basketball team...
- UCLA BruinsUCLA BruinsThe UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...