John Savage has set the standard for UCLA baseball across 21 seasons, steering the Bruins to sustained national relevance and the program’s first NCAA title in 2013. Through the 2025 season, he owns a 724–481–2 record at UCLA and has led the Bruins to 14 NCAA Tournaments with a 52–29 postseason mark, the most tournament wins by any UCLA head coach. Under Savage, UCLA has reached the Men’s College World Series four times (2010, 2012, 2013, 2025), including championship-series appearances in 2010 and 2013. His 2025 squad reignited the program’s Omaha pedigree, sweeping a home Regional and Super Regional and sharing the Big Ten regular-season crown while piling up 48 wins, the team’s best total since 2019.
Equally renowned for player development and recruiting, Savage’s programs have produced 130 MLB Draft selections and 30 big leaguers, leading (or co-leading) the nation in total draft picks in 2019 and 2021 and delivering first-rounders in three straight drafts (2019–21). A pitching architect by trade, he’s one of just two head coaches in college baseball history—alongside Vanderbilt’s Tim Corbin—to win a CWS title while also coaching a No. 1 overall MLB Draft pick, a Golden Spikes Award winner, and a future MLB Cy Young Award recipient. His recruiting classes have routinely ranked among the nation’s best, including No. 1-ranked hauls in 2021 and 2023. In 2025, shortstop Roch Cholowsky captured Big Ten Player and Defensive Player of the Year and the Brooks Wallace Award, highlighting UCLA’s elite defense and balanced offense as Savage continued to blend high-end talent with disciplined, winning baseball.
