David Esquer Position: Head Coach Experience: 13th Season

California head baseball coach David Esquer, the 2011 National Coach of the Year, represents the best in college baseball - first as a player, then as an assistant coach, and now as the leader of the Golden Bears.

As a player, Esquer was the starting shortstop on Stanford's 1987 national championship squad. As an assistant coach, he helped produce six NCAA postseason teams and one World Series participant at Stanford and Pepperdine. And now after his 12th year as the head coach of Cal, Esquer has led the Bears to the 2011 College World Series, was named the 2011 National Coach of the Year by three different organizations (National Collegiate Baseball Writers, CollegeBaseballInsider and Perfect Game), has had four players selected in the first round of the professional draft and has produced 10 All-Americans.

Esquer, 46, has compiled a 354-313-2 (.531) career mark with the Bears that includes four NCAA regional appearances (2001, 2008, 2010, 2011) and a 2001 Pac-10 Coach of the Year honor. This past season, he guided Cal to a 38-23 record and the team's third postseason appearance in the last four years. The Bears captured the Houston Regional with a thrilling, 9-8, victory over Baylor with four runs in the bottom of the ninth, and swept through a best-of-three series with Dallas Baptist in the Super Regional, to advance to the College World Series.

In the CWS, Cal dropped a close 4-1 decision to top-seeded Virginia before defeating Texas A&M, 7-3, for its first win in Omaha since 1980. The memorable season, the 12th for Esquer in Berkeley, came to an end with an 8-1 loss to the Cavaliers June 23.

The success in 2011 came despite an initial decision last September to discontinue the Cal baseball program due to pressure the University's budget. Following a fundraising effort that has generated approximately $10 million in commitment, Golden Bear baseball was reinstated April 8.

Esquer has coached 10 All-Americans in his tenure at Cal and has seen 59 of his players drafted by the Major Leagues, featuring four first-round draft picks, including right-hander Brandon Morrow, who in 2006 became the highest draft pick in school history when he was the fifth pick overall by the Seattle Mariners. Esquer also helped develop center fielder Brett Jackson, a first-round pick of the Chicago Cubs in 2009; first baseman David Cooper, a first-round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2008; and third baseman Conor Jackson, who in 2003 was drafted in the first round by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Seven Bears were drafted from the 2011 squad, including junior right-hander Erik Johnson, a second round pick of the Chicago White Sox.

This past season sophomore first baseman Devon Rodriguez earned Most Outstanding Player of the Houston Regional honors, sophomore second baseman Tony Renda was named the 2011 Pac-10 Player of the Year and freshman left-hander Kyle Porter earned Freshman All-America honors. Junior catcher Chadd Krist joined Renda and Johnson as a first-team All-Pac-10 selection.

Beyond the on-field accomplishments, the Cal mentor has also been instrumental in securing several improvements at Evans Diamond, including the Carl Van Heuit Training Center, which provides the Bears with new indoor batting cages, bullpens and workout facilities.

Esquer became only the 10th coach in Cal baseball history when he was named head coach of the Bears on June 10, 1999, replacing longtime Cal mentor Bob Milano. Esquer came to Berkeley after serving as the top assistant at Pepperdine from 1996-99. Prior to working at Pepperdine, he was the No. 2 assistant coach at Stanford from 1991-96.

At Pepperdine, Esquer was the program's chief recruiting coordinator as well as hitting instructor, infield coach and handler of the third base coaching duties. During his three seasons with the Waves, Pepperdine compiled a record of 112-63 (.640). During his six-year stint at Stanford, the Cardinal were 222-142 (.610) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament five times, including a trip to the Col-lege World Series in 1995.

A shortstop at Stanford from 1984-87, Esquer was a starter on the Cardinal's 1987 College World Series championship team. He earned all-tournament honors after hitting .350 with six RBI in Omaha. He also earned All-Pac-10 Southern Division honors as a senior, batting .318 with 41 RBI and 16 stolen bases. Esquer went on to play professional baseball for four seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers organizations.

Esquer was a three-sport star and class valedictorian at Palma High School in Salinas, Calif. He was tabbed the "Athlete of the Year" at Palma High School after being named team captain and MVP in baseball, football and basketball.

Esquer earned a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in sociology from Stanford in 1987. His wife, Lynn, is a former professor at Pepperdine in the graduate school of education and psychology, and a former assistant clinical professor in psychology at Cal. The Esquers reside in Moraga with their daughter, Gabrielle, born July 3, 2002, and son, Xavier, born December 22, 2003.

ESQUER'S CAREER RECORD AT CAL
2000	25-28
2001	34-25 (NCAA Regional, Pac-10 Coach of the Year)
2002	29-27
2003	28-27
2004	25-31
2005	34-23
2006	26-28
2007	29-26
2008	33-21-2 (NCAA Regional)
2009	24-29
2010	29-25 (NCAA Regional)
2011	38-23 (NCAA Regional, NCAA Super Regional, College World Series, National Coach of the Year)
Total	354-313-2 (.531)