How Gonzaga’s legendary baseball coach crossed paths with ‘the greatest story in sport’

A small gesture of appreciation from Bulldogs' baseball coach Steve Hertz went a long way in setting the foundation for the men's basketball program's success

Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

For former Gonzaga baseball coach Steve Hertz, the story of the Gonzaga men’s basketball program still remains the greatest tale in U.S. sports history.

The Bulldogs’ humble beginnings as a mid-major from a small Catholic-Jesuit university took an unbelievable turn in the late 1990s when Dan Monson led a veteran squad on a Cinderella run to the Elite Eight round of the 1999 NCAA Tournament. Since then, Mark Few has guided the program to 25 straight postseason berths, including a pair of Final Four appearances and nine consecutive Sweet 16s. All while developing 11 consensus All-Americans and an abundance of NBA talent.

“It’s one of the greatest studies that I can ever think of if you’re a coach,” Hertz said. “It’s grown to the greatest story in sport.”

While he credited Few’s commitment to Spokane as the reason for the Zags’ continued success, Hertz, who coached Gonzaga’s baseball team from 1981-2003, had a hand in building the program’s culture with a simple gesture that turned into a lengthy tradition.

Well before all of the tournament banners and West Coast Conference trophies, Gonzaga basketball was far from a well-known brand in the sport. It never made the NCAA Tournament in its first 36 years as a Division-I program.

The Bulldogs hit a low point in the 1989-99 season when they finished 8-20, their fewest wins since joining the Division I ranks.

That’s when head coach Dan Fitzgerald approached Hertz with a favor.

“Fitz came to me and he goes, ‘Hertzy, would you come talk to the team?’” Hertz said.

Hertz wasn’t known for his basketball expertise. He played third base in high school before transitioning to the mound in college. After pitching at Gonzaga for two seasons, he signed with the Minnesota Twins, played three years of minor league ball and returned to the college ranks as a coach.

“I was always used to, when we had a guest speaker, it was a baseball coach,” Hertz said. “But regardless, here’s my friend and you know, my boss. I was already head over heels for Gonzaga basketball and I said, well of course.”

Fitz had more than just the normal postgame pep talk planned. Somehow he wanted to highlight an individual player for their performance, something that would make each home game feel more important. And so, Hertz brought a little baseball to basketball. 

“I thought about well, baseball coaches have baseball hats,” Hertz said. “So I thought, I’ve gotta do something to make those so special that they’re like gold. I’m gonna come in after [the game] and we’re gonna honor a Zag who showed the most Zag effort.”

The player who showed the most “Zag effort” was awarded a baseball hat inscribed with their name, the date and the game’s final score. Whether it was the team’s leading scorer or an assistant coach who put together the scout, anyone was eligible to earn the Hertz hat.

The small token of hard work became a program tradition for the next 18 years.

Hertz shared his experiences with the men’s basketball team and much more on an episode of Gonzaga Nation.

WATCH THE FULL STEVE HERTZ EPISODE

Produced by Thomas Gallagher.

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