Dave Serrano's Baseball Journey: From California to Tennessee
Dave Serrano was born on June 28, 1964, in Torrance, California. He has dedicated more than thirty years to the world of baseball. Serrano started as a college pitcher before transitioning into coaching. Over the years, he has built a significant legacy at various universities across the United States.
Early Career and Coaching Beginnings
Serrano's baseball journey began after he graduated from Cerritos College and Cal State Fullerton. As a pitcher, he showed strong leadership skills on the field. These early experiences laid the foundation for his future coaching career.
Major Coaching Achievements
In 2005, Dave Serrano became the head coach at UC Irvine. Just two years later, in 2007, he led the team to its first-ever College World Series appearance. This breakthrough season earned him Baseball America's National Coach of the Year Award. It also put UC Irvine firmly on the national baseball map.
Serrano then returned to Cal State Fullerton as head coach from 2008 to 2011. His teams qualified for the NCAA Tournament every single year during this period. In 2009, they reached the College World Series once again. Under his guidance, Fullerton won the Big West Conference championship three times in 2008, 2010, and 2011. Serrano received the Big West Coach of the Year honors in both 2010 and 2011.
Tennessee and Beyond
In 2011, Serrano took on the role of head coach at the University of Tennessee. This position placed him in charge of a major program within the competitive Southeastern Conference. He coached the Volunteers for six full seasons.
After his time at Tennessee, Serrano continued his coaching career at West Virginia University as a pitching coach. He later returned as head coach at Cal State Northridge from 2020 to 2022 before taking a brief retirement.
Current Role at Johnson University
In 2023, Dave Serrano made a comeback to coaching. He accepted the position of head baseball coach at Johnson University in Knoxville, Tennessee. Today, he uses his extensive experience to help grow this smaller program and support player development.
Career Statistics and Impact
Throughout his coaching career, Serrano has been part of sixteen NCAA Tournament appearances and seven College World Series appearances. He has coached dozens of players who went on to be drafted into professional baseball.
Dave Serrano has always focused on more than just wins and losses. He has consistently helped his players grow both as athletes and as individuals. His work in recruiting and player development has left a lasting impact on college baseball, particularly within the strong Big West Conference.
Now at Johnson University, Serrano continues to apply his decades of knowledge. He aims to build a competitive program while mentoring the next generation of baseball talent.
