1. How was your experience at Stanford different from what your experience at SCU is now? I think the biggest difference now is that when I was fortunate enough to be an assistant at Stanford, I was working with a program that had established itself as one of the best in the country. They were, year-in and year-out, a dominant program and I was fortunate enough to be able to learn what it takes to be a successful program at the elite level. To be involved in that scenario was one of the best things that could have happened to me in my life. At Santa Clara it is more of a turn-around situation. I relate it to being like a start-up company in that you have to re-build it from the ground up. That is the biggest difference, one is very established and the other is trying to get to a level that it wants to be at.
2. Now that you're in your second year, does the team feel more like your own now and how have you made the team more of your own?
I never really made that an issue. I recruited two players last year when I came in, Scott Dierks and A.J. LaBarbera. I never thought that this wasn't my team or that these weren't my players. There were already good players when I got here and I never thought that I wasn't a part of their team and never thought that they weren't a part of our team as a coaching staff. Realistically, you never really have a team that is all your own until the fourth year anyway. I have always felt that the bottom line is that your team in the one that you are coaching so it never has been an issue of them being my players or not.
3. How does it feel to be coaching the cross-town rival of the school that you played for in college (San Jose State)?
It is fun to be coaching against San Jose State. I have tremendous memories of playing at San Jose State and one of my best friend to this day is Sam Piraro. We still meet at least once a month over breakfast and talk on the phone all the time and it is a special deal when we play them. We are looking to get to the level that they have enjoyed over the last couple of seasons in reaching a regional or the College World Series, but it is always going to be special when you play some place that you have so many fond memories.
4. This year's recruiting class was your first at Santa Clara, what strengths were you looking to add to your lineup when you brought them in?
We tried to do a couple of things; number one was upgrading our pitching and our defense. I think we have done both of those things. At this point we are starting to turn the corner defensively and our young pitchers are gaining valuable experience. More importantly though when we brought in these players we wanted to increase our overall athleticism which was a big area for us. I think when you watch us play this year and in years to come, our athleticism will be readily seen.
5. Does being a Bay Area native give you an advantage in recruiting local players?
I think me being a Bay Area native gives me a big advantage in recruiting. I say that because having graduated from St. Francis High School and San Jose State and having worked at Stanford, De Anza College and some other places, I have been fortunate enough to build a really good network of contacts. When you are fortunate enough to know a lot of people in the area, they are willing to try and help you out and that is why that I think that me being from the Bay Area and recruiting in this area is a tremendous advantage for Santa Clara University.
6. What has been your most rewarding win this season?
I think the most rewarding win this season was actually more rewarding for our players. It was the second game of the series against Pepperdine at Buck Shaw Stadium. Pepperdine actually rallied to tie the score late in the game and we hung on and eventually won the game on a Scott Shapiro walk-off home run in the 10th inning. It was good for our guys to go through a little adversity and persevere for the win. They showed a lot of heart in that victory.
7. Who would you say your role models that inspired you to get into coaching?
I think that there are three or four guys that helped me get into coaching. Number one is my high school coach, Chris Bradford. My junior college coach at DeAnza and one that I actually worked for at DeAnza and Cal Poly, Rich Price, who is now the head coach at the University of Kansas. My summer league coach in Alaska, Mike Garcia, was a big influence on me and is actually one of the most successful junior college coaches in the country at Canada College in Redwood City. Obviously my coach at San Jose State, Sam Piraro, was a huge influence on me. There have been so many people that have helped me along in my coaching career, including members of my family who have always pushed me and encourage me in my early career when I was only making about $200 a month. Then once I got into coaching, Mark Marquess at Stanford has been a big influence on my coaching career.
8. Who do you think is the best all-around baseball player in the professional game today, and why?
I think it is easy for me to choose this one, I think the best player in the game is Barry Bonds. I don't say this because I have known him for my whole life making me biased in this topic, but I just think when he is in the lineup everybody seems to pay closer attention to him. He is a run producer and when he is up, there is a greater than 50% chance that he will reach base. I think he does things in a game that change your whole style of managing and your whole approach to the game. That is what makes him the best in my eyes.