For Kevin Vance, the road to San Diego State baseball’s top job wasn’t just long—it was personal. When Vance stepped behind the podium at the Fowler Athletics Center to be introduced as SDSU’s seventh head baseball coach, the emotion was unmistakable. The Torrey Pines High School alum, who once roamed the outfield at Tony Gwynn Stadium as a teenager, had finally come full circle.
“This job means the world to me,” Vance said in his introductory press conference on June 18. “I’m coming back home, and I’m excited to get to work and be a part of this San Diego and San Diego State community. I plan on winning and winning fast. We’re going to coach the guys hard, and we’re going to prepare them for life. I can’t wait to get over there and get to work.”
Vance’s appointment ends a national search that received input from Aztec legends Bud Black, Stephen Strasburg, and Tony Gwynn Jr. SDSU athletic director John David Wicker emphasized what made Vance stand out.
“Kevin has a proven track record from his time as an All-American baseball player at the University of Connecticut, followed by a coaching career that has seen him continue to find increasing success, including a trip to the College World Series this year with the University of Arizona,” Wicker said. “As a San Diego native, Kevin is very familiar with SDSU and our baseball program and is ready to lead our program back to the NCAA tournament.”
Vance’s resume backs that confidence. He helped guide Arizona to the College World Series in 2025, overseeing a pitching staff that included NCBWA Stopper of the Year Tony Pluta.
But no line on his resume means as much to Vance as this opportunity.
“This is really a dream come true for me,” Vance said. “I’ve had a lot of really good coaches that have helped me get here. My college coach, coaches in high school, a lot of really good mentors that I’ve learned from and picked up on a lot of things from different backgrounds, different perspectives. So, I’m excited to bring all those perspectives and make them mine and start to build this program.”
He didn’t shy away from sharing his roots and his passion for this community.
“I grew up going to games here. I played in the CIF championship game here in high school—we lost. I made an error in left field in the first inning, so I still think about that all the time,” Vance said. “I always wish I could have come here and played here, but I ventured off and took a different path to get here. I’m super grateful to be a part of this and understand that it is much bigger than just me. I’m excited to carry on the legacy of Tony Gwynn, my real childhood idol. I’ve got two autographs in my house, and he’s one of them. I’ve had that forever, and I cherish that.”
Vance inherits a program eager for a resurgence. After two historically difficult seasons, SDSU baseball—once described as a sleeping giant—seeks a return to relevance.
“My vision is big. I’ve got big dreams for this. We need to be competing for championships every year,” Vance said. “One of my goals, and we’ve got to put in the work, but I want to host regionals at Tony Gwynn Stadium. I think that’s very doable with what we have and what we can do. I want to win year one, but it takes a lot of effort, so we’ve got some work to do, and we’ve got to get to work here pretty quickly to do that. Winning championships will always be the goal.”
That work starts now. With key players in the transfer portal such as All-Mountain West second-team selections Marko Sipila — the team’s ace who led the conference with a 3.91 ERA — and standout infielder Nevan Noonan, who hit .356 with nine home runs and 52 RBIs, Vance knows he’ll need to move fast.
Other Aztecs who have entered the portal include sophomore outfielder Jake Jackson, freshman outfielder CJ Moran, freshman infielder Daniel Arambula, and sophomore Finley Bates, a recent all-academic honoree. While entering the portal doesn’t guarantee these players will depart, the uncertainty surrounding a coaching change has opened doors for them — and put added urgency on Vance’s efforts to stabilize the roster.
“Number one priority is going to be retaining the guys that are on the roster now, making sure that they know what they’re getting and they’re going to get better here and are bought into what we’re doing,” Vance said. “The transfer portal is real, and we will use that to fill in the cracks, essentially, but we want to build from within and keep the guys that we have now.”
And as he builds, he’s focused on the kind of culture that lasts longer than wins and losses.
“I’m here to create leaders and better men, and that’s the bottom line. We’re going to win some ballgames while we do it, but the wins are just a by-product of that. Developing these guys as baseball players and men will always be number one, and I’m excited to get going.”
For Vance, the path back to San Diego isn’t just about baseball. It’s about honoring the community that shaped him, carrying forward the legacy of icons like Gwynn and helping young athletes become their best selves.
“I have a ton of friends that went here. As I said, my family went here. So I know what it can be and that’s the exciting part,” Vance said. “There’s a lot of people who are invested in this place. There’s always room for growth, but there’s a really good foundation and really good history. A lot of people that care a ton, so I’m going to be leaning on those people.”
