When the Baylor Bears hired Steve Rodriguez as their head baseball coach in 2016, the expectation was that he could find as much success in the Big 12 as he did with Pepperdine. But today, those hopes were finally dashed for good.
On Monday, Rodriguez stepped down as the head coach of Baylor after seven seasons. In a statement, Rodriguez said that he feels “a new voice” is needed to lead Baylor baseball going forward.
“While a decision of this magnitude is never easy, I am at peace with it,” Rodriguez said, via the Associated Press. “Seven years is a long time at one place, and now it is time for a new voice to lead the Baylor baseball program. I will forever be grateful to the outstanding young men who have played for me.”
Rodriguez ends his tenure in Waco with a 197-134 record that saw him go just 67-75 against Big 12 opponents. Baylor reached the NCAA Regional three times between 2017 and 2019, winning the conference tournament in 2018.
But after finishing 9th in the Big 12 this past year, it was clear that the team was trending in the wrong direction.
Steve Rodriguez got his first baseball head coaching job at his alma mater Pepperdine in 2004. He quickly turned the Waves into a force to be reckoned with on a national level, reaching the NCAA Regional eight times in 12 seasons.
In his first three seasons, Rodriguez led Pepperdine to three straight regular season and conference tournament titles.
But that same success didn’t fully follow him to Baylor and the results speak for themselves.
Will Steve Rodriguez coach college baseball again?