Villarreal Named Head Baseball Coach at Golden West

Burt Villarreal, an assistant coach for the Golden West College baseball team the last four seasons, has been named head coach, Athletic Director Tom Hermstad said Tuesday.

Villarreal replaces Fred Hoover, the only head coach in Golden West’s first 22 seasons. Hoover resigned last week and will be a part-time assistant to Coach Larry Cochell at Cal State Fullerton. Hoover and Cochell are longtime friends.

Hoover was also a physical education teacher at Golden West, but Villarreal will not have a teaching position.

Villarreal graduated from Sonora High School in 1980 and played at Golden West in 1981-82. He was the most valuable player at Golden West in 1982. He played at Cal Poly Pomona for two years before he became an assistant at Golden West in 1985.

Villarreal, 25, will be the youngest community college baseball head coach in the state.

“It’s kind of hard getting going,” Villarreal said. “We have only five guys coming back, so we have a lot of young players. I knew the work load was going to be a little more, but it still has surprised me. But I’m ready for it.”

Villarreal was ready to take over last October when Hoover announced he was resigning to move to Cal State Fullerton as an assistant. But Hoover changed his mind four days later, and Villarreal returned to his job as infield coach.

“It’s all his now,” Hoover said. “He’s been with the program for four years, and he has done a fine job. He was my choice.”

Hoover left Golden West with a career record of 459-295.

Under Hoover, Golden West has won 20 or more games 13 times and won or shared 7 conference championships. Golden West has had only four losing seasons, the last in 1971.

Golden West was 26-14 last season and finished third in the South Coast Conference.