Andrew Checketts
UC Santa Barbara head baseball coach Andrew Checketts has agreed to a new multi-year contract extension through the 2019 season, Director of Athletics John McCutcheon announced today.
“I am so pleased to announce this with Andrew,” said McCutcheon. “In the short time I have been here, he has impressed me on the field and with the structure of his program. His commitment to winning while doing things the right way falls directly in line with how we will operate as a department.”
“I would also like to acknowledge Gary Cunningham for his work on this contract during his time as Interim Athletic Director.”
One of the brightest young coaches in the nation, Checketts is already UCSB’s all-time leader in career winning percentage both overall (.594) and in Big West Conference play (.520). Now in his fourth year, he has a record of 110-75-1 at the helm of the program, and he ended the team’s second-longest postseason drought in 2013 by guiding the Gauchos to an NCAA Regional for the first time since 2001.
The 2015 Gauchos are off to another successful start, as they are ranked nationally in every major poll, coming in as high as No. 13 (Perfect Game) with their 13-5 record.
He has produced 12 Major League Baseball draftees in his short time with UCSB and 41 players he has coached have been drafted or signed pro contracts dating back to his time with Oregon, UC Riverside, and Riverside City College.
A proficient recruiter, he and his coaching staff have assembled nationally ranked recruiting classes in three out of four years, headlined by a No. 12 group in 2012.
National publications have caught on to his sharp baseball mind, as he has been cited as a “Top-10 Head Coach Under 40” by Baseball America and a “Rising Head Coach” by Perfect Game.
“My family and I couldn’t be more excited,” said Checketts. “We have felt the support of the community, our campus, and athletic department, so we are thrilled to be committed here for the future. I want to thank John McCutcheon, Gary Cunningham, and the UCSB administrators for their help and support. This department took a chance on me in 2011 as a first-time head coach, and with the solid foundation that’s been laid for the program, I’m very optimistic about the future going forward.”
This weekend, UCSB baseball will open a stretch of 11 of 12 games at home by hosting Texas-Arlington and Dartmouth for two games apiece. The Gauchos will take on UTA on Friday before participating in a split doubleheader with both teams on Saturday. UCSB will wrap up the weekend with a single contest against Dartmouth on Sunday afternoon.
