FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
LOS ANGELES–Former USC All-American pitcher Dan Hubbs, who was the pitching coach at California the past 12 years, has been named the Trojans’ pitching coach and associate head coach, USC head coach Frank Cruz announced today (July 11).
“We are delighted to welcome Dan Hubbs back to the USC baseball program,” said Cruz. “He did an outstanding job developing his pitching staffs at California and we know he’ll do the same thing for us at USC.
“We feel very fortunate to be able to add such an elite and highly-regarded coach to our staff as we work to return USC baseball to its tradition of excellence. It is another sign of the support we are receiving from athletic director Pat Haden and the USC athletic administration.”
Said Hubbs: “I am very excited about the opportunity to come back and coach where I played. USC always has been a very special place to me and my family. I’m looking forward to helping get the program back to where it has been and should be, at the top of the collegiate baseball landscape.”
In his 12-year (2000-11) tenure at Cal, the 40-year-old Hubbs regularly produced team ERAs among the lowest in the Pac-10. Three times, his pitching staff set a school record for season strikeouts, including 475 in 2011 when the Golden Bears–a program that was slated to be discontinued after 2011 due to budget cuts but was saved through fundraising efforts–advanced to the College World Series for the first time since 1992. His 2011 staff was second in the Pac-10 with a 2.90 team ERA, posted 11 shutouts and at one point went 47 innings without allowing an earned run.
Besides being a top recruiter, he helped develop some of the greatest pitchers in Cal history, including current major leaguers Brandon Morrow, who became the school’s highest draft pick ever (fifth in 2006), and Tyson Ross, Freshman All-Americans Kevin Miller (2008), Justin Jones (2010) and Kyle Porter (2011) and 2011 All-Pac-10 first teamer Erik Johnson. He produced Pac-10 save leaders in 2001 (Matt Brown) and 2004 (Jesse Ingram) and the school’s career strikeout leader (Trevor Hutchinson). He had 4 pitchers drafted in 2011 and 3 in 2008, and saw 25 of his pitchers sign professional baseball contracts.
Before going to Cal, Hubbs was the pitching coach of the Yakima Bears (a short-season single A minor league Los Angeles Dodgers affiliate in Yakima, Wash.) and assisted Pepperdine during the 1999 season.
Hubbs was a 3-year (1991-93) letterman at USC, including as a senior in 1993 when Cruz was in his first year as a USC assistant. He currently is fourth on the Trojans’ career saves list (22) and eighth on the career strikeouts per inning chart (9.19). He posted a career record of 19-13 with a 3.58 ERA in 81 appearances (64 in relief).
After seeing action in just 4 games as a 1990 freshman, he had a 7-2 record with a 3.60 ERA as a relief pitcher in 1991 as the Trojans won the Pac-10 title. He went 7-6 in 1992 with a 3.97 ERA as a starter. He returned to the bullpen in 1993, setting the since-broken USC season saves record (a national-best 18) while going 5-5 with a 2.96 ERA and a team-high 90 strikeouts as he earned All-American first team and All-Pac-10 first team honors. The Trojans advanced to the NCAA Regionals in 1990, 1991 and 1993.
Hubbs earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from USC in 1993.
He had a 7-year (1993-99) minor league career with the Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. He finished second in the Dodgers’ organization with 126 strikeouts in 1994. In 1996, he went a combined 16-1 between AAA Albuquerque (7-1) and La Romana (9-0) of the Dominican winter league, and was named to Baseball America’s Winter League All-Star Team. He led the Pacific Coast League in appearances in 1997, taking the mound 62 times in a 144-game season. He finished his career with a 27-16 record with nine saves and a 3.75 ERA. In 427 innings, he struck out 436 while walking only 172.
He was born on Jan. 23, 1971. He and his wife, Alison, a USC graduate, have 2 sons, Patrick (11) and Charlie (8).
