Baylor Baseball Coach Steve Rodriguez Steps Down
Baylor's Steve Rodriguez was expected to bring baseball back to Waco as a pinnacle sport. Instead, he now will be looking to coach elsewhere.
Rodriguez has elected to step down, effective immediately, sources have told InsideTheBears.com. He finishes his time at the manager with record of 197–134 overall and 67–75 in conference play.
Baylor finished the 2022 season with a perfect .500 at 26-26. The concerns were in conference play against the other Big 12 opponents. The Bears posted a 7-17 record, winning only one series on the year against Kansas.
Steve Rodriguez
Baylor Baseball
Baylor Baseball
The Big 12 Tournament likely did little to help Rodriguez's chances of remaining the manager past this season. On Wednesday, the Bears held a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning over top-seed TCU before the Horned Frogs plated two runs in the bottom frame. Baylor's pitching crumbled in the eighth, allowing two more run to fall in Arlington 4-2.
On Thursday, the Bears were eliminated from the tournament in an 11-1 loss to No. 4-seed Oklahoma State. Not long after, Rodriguez was handed the pink slip.
A source tells InsideTheBears.com that the leading candidate to take over for Rodriguez is Mitch Thompson. Thompson currently serves as the head coach at McLennan Community College and has been one of the top CC coaches since his arrival in 2014.
Steve Rodriguez
Steve Rodriguez
Steve Rodriguez
Thompson is far from a stranger at Baylor, having served on its coaching staff in the past. Initially, Thompson joined the Bears in the 1995 season and was promoted to assistant head coach in 2010. He has been highly regarded for his ability to recruit and develop talent from the junior college level in hopes of getting them ready for broader moments in their careers.
A coaching search is expected to start immediately, but there currently isn't a timetable on when the announcement could be made of Rodriguez's replacement.
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Cole Thompson is a sports writer and columnist covering the NFL and college sports for SI's Fan Nation. A 2016 graduate from The University of Alabama, follow him on Twitter @MrColeThompson