Baylor Baseball Coaching Search, Job Profile And Candidates

Baylor coach Steve Rodriguez stepped down last Monday, bringing an end to a seven-year tenure in Waco. He went 197-146 overall leading the Bears and 67-75 in Big 12 games.

Rodriguez got Baylor turned around quickly after taking the job. After an under-.500 campaign in 2016, he had the Bears back in a regional in 2017, the first of three straight regional appearances for the program.

They also won the Big 12 Tournament in 2018 for the first time in program history and in 2019 they finished in second place in the Big 12, one game behind Texas Tech. That team was led by catcher Shea Langeliers, who was drafted ninth overall, making him the second-highest player in program history.

Baylor never could take the next step, however. In those three regionals, Baylor went 2-6, including 0-3 in opening games. Both of its wins were against No. 4 seeds in elimination games.

There has also been an indisputable decline the last couple of seasons. After a 10-6 record during the pandemic-shortened season, the Bears stumbled late in 2021 and were the first team left out of the NCAA Tournament. Last season they finished eighth in the nine-team Big 12 with a 7-17 conference record, albeit in a season that was marred by myriad pitching injuries.

Whether it was frustration over the lack of advancement in postseason play or the missed regionals each of the last two years, Baylor clearly wants more from its baseball program, and now it’s in the market for just its third coach since 1995.

Previous Head Coach

Steve Rodriguez: 197-146, seven seasons

Job Description

Baylor, a Big 12 program with history, is an attractive job, but just how good it is in 2022 is hard to say, exactly, and involves some unknowable factors. There are only so many power conference jobs in America and that puts a premium on the Baylor job. But does a new-look Big 12 in the coming years hurt or help? Baylor Ballpark is a good facility, but is quickly falling behind nationally as other programs build and renovate. Baylor has rigorous academics and a high cost of attendance, which doesn’t make things easy in recruiting, but the brand is strong after the men’s basketball national title last year and its location in central Texas means access to talent isn’t an issue. Baylor’s floor is extremely high, but it remains to be seen where the ceiling is in the current college baseball climate.

What are the expectations?

Baylor has been a relatively consistent regional team in the 64-team era but has done so without…