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Rick Vanderhook is in his 17th season as an assistant coach for the Titans. He will again coach the outfielders and hitters, set the defense and handle third-base coaching duties. He is also a key evaluator of talent in the recruiting process and is the director of Titan Baseball Camps. “Hook” has coached four first-round draft picks (Mike Harkey in 1987, Phil Nevin in 1992, Dante Powell in 1994 and Mark Kotsay in 1996) and a supplemental pick (Aaron Rowand in 1998) as well as 12 All-Americans since 1991. As camp director, Vanderhook oversees all aspects of the Titan Baseball Academy, which help young players (7 to 17-years-old) reach their top performance level. Among the graduates of Titan camps are former Titans Steve Chatham and Rowand and current Fullerton players Darric Merrell, Kyle Boyer, Jason Corapci and Dustin Miller. Vanderhook, 40, first coached at Cal State Fullerton from 1985 to 1988. After serving as a bullpen coach and working with the pitchers and catchers in 1985 and 1986, he stepped into the third-base coaching box in 1987 and began working with the hitters and defense a year later. In 15 seasons with the Titans as a player and a coach, Vanderhook has been to the College World Series seven times. Vanderhook spent 1989 and 1990 with Coach Bill Kernen at Cal State Northridge. In 1990, the Matadors posted a 39-22 record and were the NCAA Division II runners-up. Vanderhook returned to Fullerton, along with Head Coach Augie Garrido, prior to the 1991 season. Vanderhook has coached some of the most explosive Titan offenses in the program’s history. The 1999 Titans, who made the school’s 10th College World Series appearance, set school records for single-season batting average (.338) and runs per game (9.2). Vanderhook has also coached for Fairbanks in Alaska and helped the Goldpanners finish third in the nation in 1986. A product of the prominent Cerritos College program where he played for George Horton, Vanderhook originally came to Cal State Fullerton in 1983 and redshirted his first season with the Titans before becoming a member of the Titans’ 1984 national championship team. Vanderhook prepped at Lakewood High School under Coach John Herbold, now the head coach at Cal State Los Angeles. He currently resides in Yorba Linda with his wife, April, daughters Noelle (7) and Autumn (5), and son R.J., who will turn 3 in April.
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