San Diego State hires Kevin Vance as its new baseball coach
San Diego native Kevin Vance has been hired as baseball coach by his hometown San Diego State Aztecs.
Word of Vance’s hiring broke early Tuesday afternoon and was followed by an announcement by the school. Vance has been the pitching coach at Arizona for the last two seasons. The Wildcats made it to the College World Series this season, where they lost to Coastal Carolina and Louisville.
“This job means the world to me,” Vance said in a statement. “I’m coming back home and I’m excited to get to work and be part of this San Diego and San Diego State community. I plan on winning and winning fast. We’re going to coach the guys hard and we’re going to prepare them for life. I can’t wait to get over there and get to work.”
Athletic Director John David Wicker said Vance “is very familiar with SDSU and our baseball program and is ready to lead our program back to the NCAA tournament.”
The Aztecs said they received input on the hiring process from three of their best-known baseball alums, Stephen Strasburg, Bud Black and Tony Gwynn Jr.
Vance was born in San Diego and starred at Torrey Pines High School, where he received numerous honors. He played for UConn and then spent six seasons in the minor leagues before beginning a coaching career that has now taken him to his fifth school.
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-bd678ba4dbad4f453246f539ee56a3b4.jpg "Bernie Wilson")
Bernie Wilson recently retired from The Associated Press after nearly 41 years, including stops in Spokane, Los Angeles and, for the final 33 years, San Diego. He grew up in Coeur d'Alene and graduated from the University of Idaho.