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CHINO HILLS, Calif. — In today鈥檚 society, sports have the power to take an individual down many different paths and create a variety of opportunities in their life. Becoming a professional player is the ultimate goal for the majority of athletes, but there are also many other fantastic avenues that one can explore while still being involved in the sport that they love. One well-known example of this is becoming a teacher of the game by joining a team as a member of the coaching staff. While not all great players make great coaches, there are plenty of obvious correlations that can lead to a charismatic player transitioning seamlessly into one of these roles. This has been the first-hand experience for Andy Smith, the current head baseball coach for the Chaffey College baseball team!

Andy has been a student of the game for the majority of his life and continues to dedicate his time and efforts to the world of baseball to this day. 鈥淚 got into coaching while I was still playing in college. From helping out my little brother and his little league/high school teams to coaching high school summer baseball when I was home from college during breaks, I was always at the field and interested in working with teams. I also began doing hitting lessons while still playing in college, something I still do to this day part-time,鈥� said Andy. After his playing career came to an end, Andy was approached by Jay Sullenger, his head coach at Biola University, about the idea to begin a coaching career. About this topic, Andy mentioned, 鈥淗e (Jay) taught me how to conduct myself as a college coach, how to work like one, and how to hold myself to a high standard. I was blessed to coach at Biola for a little less than 3 years. I transitioned to the JC world, where I coached at Chaffey as an assistant for 3 years including during the challenging pandemic years before taking over as the head coach in August of 2021. I am entering my 3rd year as the head baseball coach here at Chaffey, and my 8th year coaching at the collegiate level.鈥�

Throughout his relatively short time as a head coach at Chaffey, Andy and his team have already found success and seen impressive year-over-year improvements. The overall record this year for the Panthers was 28-14, and their 21-3 conference record was good enough to secure the conference title! After a respectable 21-19 4th-place finish the year prior, it is clear that Andy鈥檚 impact only becomes greater with time.

One of the interesting aspects of junior college athletics is that many players will use it as a stepping stone before transferring to a four-year program. Doing so is rarely an easy task, but for late bloomers or individuals who did not get the best exposure during high school, playing at a JUCO is a great way to further develop their skills and showcase their talents to four-year schools. Because of this, Andy and his coaching staff take great pride in developing players to be prepared to play at the next level. When asked about this and other achievements from his athletes, Andy mentioned 鈥淎 few cool accolades from this team include Rawlings ABCA All-American Braden Hofmeyer, who was our league MVP (not something you see often from a pitcher). We have committed 11 players to the 4-year level, 5 of which will be competing at the NCAA Division I level, the most Chaffey has ever had in one year. Our guys worked very hard for those opportunities and I鈥檓 extremely proud we got to be a part of that process for them.鈥�

If you could not already tell, Andy has a deep love for the game of baseball, which directly translates into success for whatever team he is a part of. 鈥淚 have a passion for learning about the game, about people, communication, leadership, and culture. It鈥檚 a constant process of growth, with plenty of mistakes mixed in. But I love what I do and am blessed to serve this awesome community in the inland empire,鈥� said Andy! Be sure to do yourself a favor and make your way over to Chaffey for a game to see what Andy and his Panthers are all about!

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