West Hills College Coalinga Associate Dean of Athletics Joe Hash has announced the hiring of Mike Cordero as the Falcons' new baseball head coach.
Cordero bring extensive coaching experience ranging from the high school, community college, and NCAA Division I levels.
He most recently led the Chaffey College baseball program in Rancho Cucamonga as its head coach from 2017-2021. While the COVID pandemic shortened the 2020 season and canceled 2021, Cordero compiled a 57-44-1 overall record over three seasons (2018-2020). The Panthers went 31-17 in conference action, earning second-place finishes in 2018 and 2020.
Hash was impressed by Cordero's credentials on and off the baseball field.
"Mike Cordero's background stood out among a strong group of candidates, both for his wealth of experience in coaching college baseball, but also for his experience in teaching and doing faculty work."
Prior to Chaffey, Cordero was the recruiting coordinator at Santa Barbara City College, where he helped the Vaqueros win the 2017 Western State North Championship.
A highly successful high school coach at Loyola High School (Los Angeles) and Agoura High School (Agoura Hills, CA), Cordero brings a championship caliber attitude to the field and the classroom. While head coach at Loyola, his teams won a Mission League title and were ranked as high as No. 9 nationally. Additionally, Cordero's program produced a Perfect Game and First Team All-American, Team USA Participant, MLB Draft pick and more than 25 college players. In 2016 his team was recognized by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) for Academic Excellence by maintaining a team 3.64 GPA.
Prior to Loyola, Cordero was the head coach at Agoura High School. During his time there, he inherited a program that finished in last place the previous five years. Within two years, the Chargers won back-to-back Marmonte League championships. The 2013 team was ranked No. 1 in the Los Angeles Times polls and as high as 6th in the nation according to Baseball America. The program produced 20 collegiate baseball players, two NCAA Division I College World Series participants, one Division III National Champion, three Perfect Game All-Americans and an NCAA Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American. In addition, Cordero was invited to be the head coach of the CIF-SS All-Star team.
In 2009, Cordero served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at national powerhouse Cypress College. He played a strong role in developing numerous Division I infielders and two Junior College All-Americans. His recruiting classes helped produce a top-10 national ranking for Cypress in 2010 and a 2009 Orange Empire Conference championship.
In 2008, Mike served as the infield and hitting coach at Charleston Southern University in Charleston, South Carolina. While at CSU, he assisted in developing three Division I Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans and helped the Buccaneers make the Big South Conference Tournament. At CSU, he had the privilege of coaching Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Tyler Thornburg.
Over a 16-year career, Mike has coached in the postseason 11 times, winning six league championships. He has helped over 60 players move on to play in college and has had over a dozen players play professionally.
Cordero received a B.A. in marketing from Upper Iowa University and a Master's of Science in physical education from Azusa Pacific University.