Bruins Hire Irvine Coach

UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero thought John Savage did a good job as UC Irvine’s baseball coach. So he hired him -- again.

Savage was introduced as the Bruins’ new coach Thursday, succeeding Gary Adams, who retired last month after 30 seasons. After being tabbed by Guerrero to guide the resurrected Irvine program four years ago, he rejoins his old boss a month after leading the Anteaters to their first postseason appearance in Division I.

“He gave me an unbelievable opportunity to establish a program that had been nonexistent for 10 years,” Savage said of Guerrero, who preceded him in leaving Irvine for UCLA. “I’m looking forward to reestablishing that relationship.”

Savage, 39, was hired in hopes that he can establish the Bruins as a perennial playoff team. UCLA lost in the NCAA regionals last month, and has made only one trip to the College World Series in the last 34 years and has only one Pacific 10 Conference title since 1986.

“I’m really looking forward to adding onto what they’ve done,” said Savage, who signed a three-year contract with a base salary of $95,000. His goals, he said, were “establishing UCLA in the upper echelon in the Pac-10, taking it to the next level on the national scene and having a chance to go to Omaha every year.”

Associate Athletic Director Ken Weiner, the administrator over baseball and Jackie Robinson Stadium, the Bruins’ home field, said he and Savage have discussed upgrading the 23-year-old facility and the adjoining clubhouse. Weiner did not offer specifics but said the goal would be for it to meet NCAA standards for hosting a regional.

Savage, who has a reputation for developing pitchers, compiled an 88-84-1 record in three seasons at Irvine, including a 34-23-1 mark this year.

Before taking over at Irvine, he spent five seasons as the top assistant at USC, where he coached major league All-Stars Barry Zito and Mark Prior. Irvine right-hander Brett Smith was taken in the second round of the amateur draft last month.

“I told him ‘Congratulations’ and said, ‘That’s the last nice word you’ll ever hear from me,’ ” USC Coach Mike Gillespie joked. “I think they made a great choice. We’ll compete like heck, no doubt, but our friendship will easily survive this.”

Guerrero said it was easier to court Savage with the knowledge that the coach laid a strong foundation at Irvine.

“If you sat in my shoes, for someone who was at Irvine for 10 years, the crowning achievement was to bring baseball back,” Guerrero said. “Schools across the country were cutting the sport.

“It was difficult, but ... That program is in good shape.”

There was disappointment at Irvine.

“Thanks to the generous support of our baseball program from donors past and present, we were able to match UCLA’s offer as we understood it,” Chancellor Ralph Cicerone said in a statement. “We are disappointed that Coach Savage has not elected to stay in Irvine to build on his previous successes but wish him the best in his new endeavor.”

Savage said he notified his former players after accepting the job late Wednesday. He did not indicate who would be on his staff at UCLA, though he may be waiting to see if top assistant Jason Gill will be considered as his replacement at Irvine.

UCLA tried to make a run at Arizona Coach Andy Lopez, but the former Pepperdine and Florida coach said he wanted to stay put after the Wildcats advanced to the College World Series for the first time in 18 years.

UCLA assistant Vince Beringhele, Chico State Coach Lindsay Meggs, and Torey Lovullo, manager of the Cleveland Indians’ Class A minor league team in Kinston, N.C., were interviewed for the job.

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The honors are piling up for Cal State Fullerton’s national championship team.

Kurt Suzuki won the Johnny Bench Award, honoring college baseball’s top catcher, and George Horton was chosen national coach of the year by Collegiate Baseball magazine.

Suzuki, a junior, was selected over South Carolina senior Landon Powell and North Carolina junior Chris Iannetta. A first-team All-American and a second-round draft choice by the Oakland A’s, Suzuki batted .413 with 16 home runs and 87 runs batted in.

The Titans will be honored in a ceremony at Angel Stadium on Saturday night before the Dodger-Angel game.