Former Stanford player and coach David Esquer will replace Mark Marquess as head coach.
STANFORD, Calif. — David Esquer was named Stanford's Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball, as announced by Jaquish & Kenniger Director of Athletics Bernard Muir on Friday.
RELATED: CWS Bracket | CWS memorable moments
Esquer will be the 21st head coach in program history, succeeding Mark Marquess, who retired after 41 years at the helm of the Cardinal. Esquer played under Marquess on Stanford's 1987 national championship team and served as an assistant on The Farm from 1991-96. He spent the last 18 years as the head coach at California, where he was the 2011 National Coach of the Year and led the Bears to five NCAA Regionals and the 2011 College World Series.
Happy to make it official.
— Stanford Baseball (@StanfordBSB) June 16, 2017
Our new head coach.
Welcome home, David Esquer.https://t.co/QXevPrBtE7 pic.twitter.com/m7OOxnhDdB
"I am ecstatic to welcome Coach Esquer back to The Farm," Muir said. "His passion for Stanford University and the Stanford baseball program is undeniable, and his intimate understanding of the unique brand of scholar-athleticism that has been a hallmark of our baseball program for so many years makes him a perfect fit for this role. The future of Stanford baseball is in great hands."
"I am just so happy for this opportunity and so humbled to be following Coach Marquess," Esquer said. "It is incredible to think back to when I came to campus as a walk-on shortstop from Salinas, and to know I will be running the same program. As a coach, I have my own voice, but I will continue to bring the energy that Coach Marquess brought every day, and maintain the legacy of a program that proved you can achieve the highest standards academically and still sustain excellence on the field."
While at Cal, Esquer was 525-467-2 (.528), was named the 2001 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, produced 13 All-Americans and mentored 81 Major League draft picks, including five first-round selections. Brandon Morrow became the highest draft pick in school history when he was the fifth pick overall by the Seattle Mariners in 2006, and, most recently, right-handed pitcher Daulton Jefferies was drafted in the 2016 first round by the Oakland A's.A shortstop at Stanford from 1984-87, Esquer was a starter on the Cardinal's 1987 College World Series championship team. He earned all-tournament honors after hitting .350 with six RBIs in Omaha. He also earned All-Pac-10 Southern Division honors as a senior, batting .318 with 41 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. Esquer went on to play professional baseball for four seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers.
Esquer won a CWS as a player for Stanford in 1987. He later coached a Cardinal team back to Omaha.
In three seasons as the top assistant at Pepperdine, Esquer was the program's chief recruiting coordinator as well as hitting instructor, infield coach and handler of the third-base coaching duties.
Esquer was a three-sport star and class valedictorian at Palma High School in Salinas. He was tabbed the "Athlete of the Year" at Palma High School after being named team captain and MVP in baseball, football and basketball. Esquer earned a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in sociology from Stanford in 1987. He and his wife, Lynn, have a daughter, Gabrielle, and son, Xavier.
