Long Beach State University Athletics
Strauss Set to Take Reigns of Dirtbag Pitching Staff
2/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Dec. 26, 2007
LONG BEACH -- Former Dirtbag Jon 'Doc' Strauss is returning to the Dirtbags, again. After serving as the top assistant, pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at San Jose State, Strauss will take over as pitching coach at Long Beach State after Troy Buckley took a job with the Pirates as their minor league pitching coordinator. Andy Rojo will remain the recruiting coordinator, a position he has held all year.
"I'm happy to announce Jon Strauss as our new permanent pitching coach," said seventh year Head Coach Mike Weathers. "He is a former player and coach and being an alumnus, knows the history of the Dirtbag program. Jon learned the game of pitching as a catcher and then as a coach from Dave Snow. In 2006, as our volunteer coach, he helped Troy Buckley with our pitching staff. That consistency and same philosophy was important (as well as working with current pitchers Vance Worley, Andrew Liebel and Bryan Shaw) to this hire. He will inherit a very deep and experienced staff. Jon was my first choice and I'm glad to have him back in the Dirtbag Family."
Strauss, who played for the Dirtbags during the team's College World Series run in 1993 and in 1994, was on Coach Dave Snow's staff from 1995 to 2000 and then again as the volunteer coach in 2006. During his time at LBSU, the Dirtbags went 250-177 (.585), won two Big West titles, advanced to five NCAA Regionals and finished third at the 1998 College World Series behind one of the top hitting teams in school-history.
In the interim, he was the pitching and recruiting coordinator at Loyola Marymount (2003-05) where eight players signed pro contracts, and he was the head coach at Glendale Community College, where he went 66-25 with a pair of league titles under his belt in 2001 and 2002. The Spartans were 34-26 in 2007.
Strauss graduated from LBSU in 1996 with a degree in psychology after spending a year in the Yankees minor league system (1994).
A Southern California native, he prepped at Glendale High School and played at the College of the Canyons prior to coming to LBSU. He has a wife, Nickie, and two sons, Casey (8) and Brady (5).
