Longhorns Set to Hire Former Baylor Coach Steve Rodriguez as New Hitting Coach
The Texas Longhorns have made yet another change to their coaching staff, with the announcement of their new hitting coach announced on Thursday afternoon. It was reported by Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball that the Longhorns would be hiring former Baylor Bears coach Steve Rodriguez to serve as their new hitting coach.
Rodriguez spent the last seven seasons as the head coach for Baylor, where he would lead the Bears to three NCAA Tournament appearances. Prior to Baylor, Rodriguez the coach of the Pepperdine Waves from 2004-2015, where he would lead the Waves to eight NCAA Tournament appearances.
Rodriguez brings years of experience to Pierce's staff and has strong recruiting connections in Texas and California from his years as a coach, which Texas will undoubtedly hope to tap into.
Another aspect that could come into play is the numerous Baylor players that put their names in the transfer portal once the season ended. While they might not be inclined to follow Rodriguez to Austin, the Longhorns could come into play for his former players in the portal.
Ultimately, this is a strong hire for Pierce and the Longhorns who will find themselves in a massive retooling phase with the departures from their lineup. Bringing in Rodriguez will make the process smoother, as the Longhorns look to remain contenders in 2023.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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