Andy Lopez has been national coach of the year at three schools. Photo by Bruce Thorson-US PRESSWIRE
Arizona baseball coach Andy Lopez, after leading the Wildcats to the national title earlier this week, has won national coach of the year honors from the Collegiate Baseball newspaper.
This is the third time he has won this award in his 30 seasons as a head coach, his first at Arizona. Collegiate Baseball previously tabbed Lopez with its top coaching honor in 1992 (when Lopez won the national title with Pepperdine) and in 1996, when he was the head coach at Florida.
Lopez is the second coach in NCAA history to win titles at two schools, joining Augie Garrido, who won with Cal State Fullerton (1979, 1984 and 1995) and Texas (2002 and 2005).
By guiding Arizona to its fourth championship at the College World Series, Lopez sets the record for most time elapsed between titles, breaking the mark of 11 years held by Garrido.
The Cats went 10-0 in the postseason, including a 5-0 mark at the World Series, when it swept South Carolina in two games in the championship series.
Lopez improved his career record to 1,090-664-7. He is 403-246-1 at Arizona.
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