RICK
VANDERHOOK Assisitant Coach
Offense/Outfield/Third Base Coach
19th Season
Rick Vanderhook is in his 19th season as an assistant coach for the
Titans. He will again coach the outfielders and hitters and will also
take on a new responsibility by running the offense from his standard
post in the third base coaching box. 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 15 All-Americans
since 1991. He also played a key role in the development of 2003 and 2004
Big West Conference Players of the Year Shane Costa and Kurt Suzuki, each
of whom was selected in the second round of the draft by Kansas City and
Oakland, respectively.
As camp director, Vanderhook oversees all aspects of the Titan Baseball
Academy, which helps young players (7 to 17-years-old) reach their top
performance level. Among the graduates of Titan camps are former Titans
Steve Chatham, Rowand, Darric Merrell, Kyle Boyer, Jason Corapci and current
pitcher Dustin Miller.
Vanderhook, 41, 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 20 seasons
with the Titans as a player and a coach, Vanderhook has been to the College
World Series nine times and won it three 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). He also helped fine tune
the 2003 squad, which was 10th in the nation in hitting (.329), 20th in
scoring (7.9 runs per game) and among the top 30 in doubles and triples
per game.
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 and received his bachelors degree
in physical education from Trinity University in 2003.
He currently resides in Yorba Linda with his wife, April, daughters Noelle
(9) and Autumn (7) and son R.J., who will turn 5 in April.
