MALIBU, Calif. — Pepperdine Athletics Hall of Famer Steve Rodriguez will return to the Pepperdine baseball coaching staff as special assistant to the head coach, announced today by head coach Tyler LaTorre.
A Wave through and through, Rodriguez was a member of the Pepperdine baseball 1992 National Championship team and later served as head coach of the Waves from 2004-15. He joined the Athletics Board in 2025.
"We are extremely excited and humbled to have Steve Rodriguez join our program," said head coach Tyler LaTorre. "30-plus years of being a Wave as a player, assistant coach, head coach, and now Athletics Board Member. His knowledge of college baseball is unquestioned and he is a huge addition for our players and coaching staff."
In this advisory role, Rodriguez will provide mentorship to the coaching staff and student-athletes while offering strategic guidance based on his decades of experience in coaching college baseball.
"We look forward to having Coach Rodriguez on staff to aid in our player and staff development," added LaTorre. We are so thankful to him for coming back to Malibu to continue his legacy here at Pepperdine."
Having experienced Pepperdine Baseball as a player, coach and alumnus, Rodriguez is able to support the next generation of Waves in this role and continue to give back to the program that has helped define his career for decades.
"I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be back home at Pepperdine," said Rodriguez. "This university and baseball program have meant so much to me, and I'm looking forward to being a resource to the coaches and student-athletes. Pepperdine has a tradition of excellence rooted in Christian values that I am proud to be a part of."
Rodriguez's first stint back in Malibu began in 2000, where he served as an assistant coach for four seasons before being named head coach prior to the 2004 campaign. During his tenure as head coach, the Waves reached eight NCAA Tournaments including five straight from 2004-08 along with a Super Regional appearance in 2014.
Rodriguez compiled a 401-300 record in 12 years at the helm of the program, winning five WCC regular-season titles and five WCC Tournament titles. He was named West Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2014.
"Steve Rodriguez has meant so much to Pepperdine Baseball. He's a national champion student-athlete, a successful head coach, and a proud ambassador for this program," said Director of Athletics, Tanner Gardner. "Welcoming him back to Malibu in this advisory role feels like restoring a piece of our foundation. Steve's perspective, wisdom, and deep love for Pepperdine will be an incredible resource for our coaches and student-athletes as we continue to pursue championship baseball rooted in our values."
Rodriguez was inducted into the Pepperdine Hall of Fame in 2016 for his contributions on the field and in the dugout.
His tenure as a player included back-to-back All-American honors in 1991 and 1992, his sophomore and junior seasons, before being drafted in the fifth round of the 1992 MLB Draft by the Boston Red Sox. Rodriguez completed his bachelor's degree in 2001 upon his initial return to the Waves.
Rodriguez tallied a program-best 104 hits during the 1992 season while hitting .419 on the season. He led the Waves to the College World Series and eventually to the program's only National Championship, hitting a game-winning grand slam in the semifinals and eventually recording the final out in the National Championship on a pop out to second base.
Following his stint as head coach of the Waves, Rodriguez was named head coach at Baylor University prior to the 2016 season. Rodriguez led the Bears to their first-ever Big 12 Tournament title in 2019, as the squad reached three-straight NCAA Regional appearances from 2017-19. He was named Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2017.
Rodriguez joined the staff at Texas in July 2022, where he served as an assistant coach for the Longhorns for two seasons. Texas reached NCAA Regionals in both seasons with Rodriguez on staff, including a Super Regional appearance in 2023.
His return to Malibu further connects the current era of Pepperdine baseball with a lifelong ambassador for the program.
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Pepperdine baseball has one of the richest traditions and success stories among mid-major baseball programs in the country. The Waves won the NCAA National Championship in 1992 and have made 28 NCAA Tournament appearances in total. Located in scenic Malibu, California, Eddy D. Field Stadium boasts one of the most remarkable views in college baseball and has seen 35 former Waves reach the MLB while seeing 41 All-American selections.
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