UCLA head coach John Savage walks to the mound in the bottom of the 5th inning. Photo by Steve Cheng, BHEphotos.
DURHAM, N.C. — USA Baseball named UCLA head coach John Savage as the manager for the 2017 Collegiate National Team on Thursday. Savage previously served as an assistant coach on the 2000 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team that finished its summer 27-3-1 and won a gold medal at Haarlem Baseball Week in the Netherlands.
Savage has been a part of two national championships after leading the Bruins to the NCAA title in 2013 and serving as an assistant with the 1998 national champion University of Southern California.
“We are thrilled to welcome back John Savage to the USA Baseball coaching ranks,” said Paul Seiler, Executive Director and CEO of USA Baseball. “John has led the UCLA program to new heights under his guidance and we are excited to bring his experience and leadership to the head of our national team program in 2017.”
Savage begins his 13th season at the helm of UCLA and has posted a 419-301-1 record (.581) since 2005. He was named the 2015 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and has led the Bruins to the postseason in eight of the last 11 seasons, compiling a 35-16 record (.686), three College World Series appearances and the 2013 national championship. Additionally, he has coached 82 draft selectees during his time in Westwood.
“It is certainly an honor and a privilege to be named the manager of the Collegiate National Team,” said Savage. “I am looking forward to hiring a staff and leading USA Baseball to a successful summer, both in terms of player development and success on the field.”
In 2013, Collegiate Baseball, Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association tabbed Savage as the National Coach of the Year, and Collegiate Baseball recognized him as the National Assistant Coach of the Year in 1998. Savage is one of only five coaches in baseball history to lead his team to a national championship, coach the number one overall pick in the MLB Draft and coach a USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award winner (Trevor Bauer, 2011).
A sixth-round MLB Draft selection in 1983 by the New York Yankees, Savage chose to attend Santa Clara University where he pitched for three seasons before he was selected in the 16th round of the 1986 MLB Draft by the Cincinnati Reds.
The remaining Collegiate National Team staff and schedule will be announced at a later time on USABaseball.com. The U.S. will host three international friendship series against Chinese Taipei, Cuba, and Japan in 2017.
