John Savage (baseball)
Encyclopedia
John Savage is currently the head baseball
coach at UCLA
in Los Angeles, California
.
, after three years playing at Santa Clara University
. In 1997, he then helped the Salt Lake City Trappers
set a professional baseball record of 29 consecutive victories.
In 1991, Savage received a bachelor's degree in secondary education from the University of Nevada
.
Savage's coach career started at his alma mater Reno (NV) High School
as a pitching coach in 1988. Between 1992 and 2000, Savage was an assistant coach at Nevada
and USC. During this period, his teams won one National Championship
, and played in 5 Regionals
and 2 Super-Regionals.
. At UCI, his team had a record of 88-84-1 (32-34 Conference) and participated in the Midwest (South Bend) Regional in 2004.
After a disappointing 2005 campaign, Savage helped the Bruins rebound to a Regional birth in 2006.
In 2007, Savage used the nucleus of 2006 and the addition of key newcomers Gavin Brooks, Gabe Cohen, and Alden Carrithers to help UCLA overcome an 8-14 start and record a 33-28 overall record. This record led to the program's first NCAA Super Regional appearance since 2000. The Bruins went 14-10 with a third-place finish in the Pac-10. UCLA won 19 of 23 games midway through the 2007 season, marking the team's most successful stretch since 1997, when UCLA last advanced to the College World Series.
The Bruins' road to the Super Regionals that season included 29 games against 11 teams that earned NCAA Tournament berths, including 14 contests against teams that advanced to Super Regionals. Backed by three masterful performances from its starting pitchers, UCLA swept the NCAA Long Beach Regional at Blair Field. Brummett came within one out of tossing a complete game in a 7-3 win over Pepperdine, before Murphy recorded the save. Gavin Brooks threw a complete game in a 3-1 victory over Illinois-Chicago, and Murphy went the distance in a 7-4, regional-clinching victory over host Long Beach State.
Savage's tutelage proved instrumental in the development of Brummett, an All-Pac-10 selection, and the emergence of Brooks and Murphy. By season's end, UCLA landed five players on the All-Pac-10 team, the most selections by any Bruin baseball team since 2000. Freshman outfielder Gabe Cohen secured Co-Newcomer of the Year honors, and Decker earned his first of two All-Pac-10 team selections.
The 2007 ball club earned five consecutive PAC-10 series wins, as UCLA took two of three games against Washington, Arizona and California in addition to road sweeps of Stanford and USC. UCLA faced the second-most difficult schedule in the nation and the No. 1 most challenging non-conference slate, as rated by Boyd's World.
In 2008, UCLA became the school's first baseball team to secure a third consecutive trip to NCAA postseason play. The Bruins went 33-27 with a 13-11 PAC-10 record, culminating in an NCAA Regional Final berth at Cal State Fullerton. UCLA's pitching staff recorded a conference-leading 4.29 ERA in Pac-10 action. Murphy guided the Bruins' rotation in 2008 and became the first UCLA pitcher to lead the Pac-10 in strikeouts (111) since 1996, when Jim Parque totaled 116 strikeouts.
The Bruins' 2008 regular-season schedule featured 26 games against teams that advanced to NCAA postseason play. UCLA played 18 games against teams ranked in Baseball America's weekly top-25 poll. Savage helped lead the Bruins to series victories in three of the team's four PAC-10 road series.
In 2008, UCLA became the school's first baseball team to secure a third consecutive trip to NCAA postseason play. The Bruins went 33-27 with a 13-11 PAC-10 record, culminating in an NCAA Regional Final berth at Cal State Fullerton. UCLA's pitching staff recorded a conference-leading 4.29 ERA in Pac-10 action. Murphy guided the Bruins' rotation in 2008 and became the first UCLA pitcher to lead the Pac-10 in strikeouts (111) since 1996, when Jim Parque totaled 116 strikeouts.
In 2010 he took his UCLA Bruins to the College World Series
, by defeating the defending National Champion
LSU Tigers
and the Cal State Fullerton Titans
teams in the Los Angeles Regional. The Bruins finish the season in second place, losing two games to the South Carolina Gamecocks
in the Championship Series.
He was named the national Coach of the Year by CollegeBaseballInsider.com in 2010. He was also named 2010 NCAA Division I Western Regional Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association
(ABCA).
.
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 at UCLA
UCLA Bruins baseball
UCLA Bruins baseball team represents the University of California, Los Angeles in the NCAA baseball competition. Having started playing in 1920, the team is a member of the Pacific-10 Conference and plays its home games at Jackie Robinson Stadium. It has produced many Major and Minor League...
in Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
.
Early career
Prior to becoming a coach, Savage played two years with the Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, after three years playing at Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University is a private, not-for-profit, Jesuit-affiliated university located in Santa Clara, California, United States. Chartered by the state of California and accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, it operates in collaboration with the Society of Jesus , whose...
. In 1997, he then helped the Salt Lake City Trappers
Salt Lake City Trappers
The Salt Lake City Trappers were an independent Pioneer League minor league baseball team, based in Salt Lake City from 1985 to 1992. The Trappers played their home games at Derks Field, located at the present-day site of Spring Mobile Ballpark. The team is best known for winning 29 consecutive...
set a professional baseball record of 29 consecutive victories.
In 1991, Savage received a bachelor's degree in secondary education from the University of Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno
The University of Nevada, Reno , is a teaching and research university established in 1874 and located in Reno, Nevada, USA...
.
Savage's coach career started at his alma mater Reno (NV) High School
Reno High School
Reno High School is a public secondary school in Reno, Nevada that is a part of the Washoe County School District. The school mascot is the Husky, and the school's colors are red and blue. Their teams are known as the "Reno Huskies."-History:...
as a pitching coach in 1988. Between 1992 and 2000, Savage was an assistant coach at Nevada
Nevada Wolf Pack
The Nevada Wolf Pack are the collegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nevada, Reno, consisting of 16 varsity teams. Though often known as UNR within the state, the university is simply called Nevada for athletics purposes; its sports teams are nicknamed the Wolf Pack...
and USC. During this period, his teams won one National Championship
1998 College World Series
The 1998 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from May 29 to June 6. The fifty-second tournament's champion was the University of Southern California, coached by Mike Gillespie. The championship was the Trojans' record 11th, but their first since 1978, the...
, and played in 5 Regionals
NCAA Division I Baseball Championship
The NCAA Division I Baseball Championship tournament is held each year from May through June and features 64 college baseball teams in the United States, culminating in the College World Series....
and 2 Super-Regionals.
Head Coaching Career
Prior to taking over the UCLA program, Savage was the head baseball coach at the University of California, IrvineUniversity of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine , founded in 1965, is one of the ten campuses of the University of California, located in Irvine, California, USA...
. At UCI, his team had a record of 88-84-1 (32-34 Conference) and participated in the Midwest (South Bend) Regional in 2004.
After a disappointing 2005 campaign, Savage helped the Bruins rebound to a Regional birth in 2006.
In 2007, Savage used the nucleus of 2006 and the addition of key newcomers Gavin Brooks, Gabe Cohen, and Alden Carrithers to help UCLA overcome an 8-14 start and record a 33-28 overall record. This record led to the program's first NCAA Super Regional appearance since 2000. The Bruins went 14-10 with a third-place finish in the Pac-10. UCLA won 19 of 23 games midway through the 2007 season, marking the team's most successful stretch since 1997, when UCLA last advanced to the College World Series.
The Bruins' road to the Super Regionals that season included 29 games against 11 teams that earned NCAA Tournament berths, including 14 contests against teams that advanced to Super Regionals. Backed by three masterful performances from its starting pitchers, UCLA swept the NCAA Long Beach Regional at Blair Field. Brummett came within one out of tossing a complete game in a 7-3 win over Pepperdine, before Murphy recorded the save. Gavin Brooks threw a complete game in a 3-1 victory over Illinois-Chicago, and Murphy went the distance in a 7-4, regional-clinching victory over host Long Beach State.
Savage's tutelage proved instrumental in the development of Brummett, an All-Pac-10 selection, and the emergence of Brooks and Murphy. By season's end, UCLA landed five players on the All-Pac-10 team, the most selections by any Bruin baseball team since 2000. Freshman outfielder Gabe Cohen secured Co-Newcomer of the Year honors, and Decker earned his first of two All-Pac-10 team selections.
The 2007 ball club earned five consecutive PAC-10 series wins, as UCLA took two of three games against Washington, Arizona and California in addition to road sweeps of Stanford and USC. UCLA faced the second-most difficult schedule in the nation and the No. 1 most challenging non-conference slate, as rated by Boyd's World.
In 2008, UCLA became the school's first baseball team to secure a third consecutive trip to NCAA postseason play. The Bruins went 33-27 with a 13-11 PAC-10 record, culminating in an NCAA Regional Final berth at Cal State Fullerton. UCLA's pitching staff recorded a conference-leading 4.29 ERA in Pac-10 action. Murphy guided the Bruins' rotation in 2008 and became the first UCLA pitcher to lead the Pac-10 in strikeouts (111) since 1996, when Jim Parque totaled 116 strikeouts.
The Bruins' 2008 regular-season schedule featured 26 games against teams that advanced to NCAA postseason play. UCLA played 18 games against teams ranked in Baseball America's weekly top-25 poll. Savage helped lead the Bruins to series victories in three of the team's four PAC-10 road series.
In 2008, UCLA became the school's first baseball team to secure a third consecutive trip to NCAA postseason play. The Bruins went 33-27 with a 13-11 PAC-10 record, culminating in an NCAA Regional Final berth at Cal State Fullerton. UCLA's pitching staff recorded a conference-leading 4.29 ERA in Pac-10 action. Murphy guided the Bruins' rotation in 2008 and became the first UCLA pitcher to lead the Pac-10 in strikeouts (111) since 1996, when Jim Parque totaled 116 strikeouts.
In 2010 he took his UCLA Bruins to the College World Series
2010 College World Series
The 2010 College World Series began on June 19, 2010 and concluded on June 29 in Omaha, Nebraska at Rosenblatt Stadium. South Carolina won the championship after defeating UCLA. Rosenblatt has hosted the CWS since 1950, but 2010 will be the final College World Series to be played in the famed...
, by defeating the defending National Champion
2009 College World Series
The 2009 College World Series began on June 13, and was held through June 24, 2009 in Omaha, Nebraska at historic Rosenblatt Stadium. As part of the 2009 collegiate baseball season, eight NCAA Division I college baseball teams met after having played their way through a 64-team bracket to crown a...
LSU Tigers
LSU Tigers baseball
The LSU baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I college baseball.Along with the other LSU athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the West division of the Southeastern Conference...
and the Cal State Fullerton Titans
Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball
The Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball team represents California State University, Fullerton in NCAA Division I college baseball. In 35 years of Division I play, the Titans have never had a losing season. They are supplied by DeMarini....
teams in the Los Angeles Regional. The Bruins finish the season in second place, losing two games to the South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks baseball
The South Carolina Gamecocks baseball team represents the University of South Carolina in NCAA Division I college baseball. South Carolina has perennially been one of the best teams in college baseball since 1970, posting 27 NCAA Tournament appearances, 10 College World Series berths, and two...
in the Championship Series.
He was named the national Coach of the Year by CollegeBaseballInsider.com in 2010. He was also named 2010 NCAA Division I Western Regional Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association
American Baseball Coaches Association
The American Baseball Coaches Association is a baseball coaching organization formed in 1945. It is the primary professional organization for baseball coaches at the amateur level.-History:...
(ABCA).
Head coaching record
| TEAM | YEAR | Overall | Conference | Postseason |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UC Irvine | 2002 | 33-26 | 14-10 | none |
| UC Irvine | 2003 | 21-35 | 8-13 | none |
| UC Irvine | 2004 | 34-23-1 | 10-11 | Midwest Regional |
| UCLA | 2005 | 15-41 | 4-20 | none |
| UCLA | 2006 | 33-25 | 13-10 | Malibu Regional |
| UCLA | 2007 | 33-28 | 14-10 | Fullerton Super-Regional |
| UCLA | 2008 | 33-27 | 13-11 | Fullerton Regional |
| UCLA | 2009 | 27-29 | 15-12 | none |
| UCLA | 2010 | 51-17 | 18-9 | CWS (2nd place), Los Angeles Super-Regional |
| UCLA | 2011 | 34-23 | 18-9 | Los Angeles Regional |
| CAREER TOTAL | 9 years | 280-251-1 | 109-106 | 5 Regionals, 2 Super-Regionals, 1 CWS |
Personal
Savage and his wife, Lisa, have four children: Julia, Jack, Ryan and Gabrielle. John is also the Son in Law of Hall of Fame and current Nevada Wolf Pack head coach Chris AultChris Ault
Chris Ault is the current college football head coach of the University of Nevada Wolf Pack. Ault, along with John Gagliardi, is one of two active coaches who have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame....
.