Bio

Mike Salazar begins his 22nd year as head coach of the Rio Hondo College baseball program in 2022.

Since arriving on campus in Whittier in 2001, Salazar has transferred Rio Hondo into the most successful program in the San Gabriel Valley as well as one of the most respected in the state. He's amassed the most wins, playoff appearances, playoff victories, and State Final 4 appearances in the area.

Salazar enters 2022 on the verge of his historic 500th win at the college. He begins this spring with an impressive career record of 488-298-1 and has gone 323-162-0 in conference games. Salazar was on track to become one of the youngest coaches  in the modern era to reach the 500-win mark before the 2020 COVID shortened season and the cancellation of the 2021 season.

He’s led Rio Hondo to five Foothill Conference championships and was named Conference Coach of the Year in each of those seasons --- 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, and 2014.

Salazar’s finest season came in 2012 when he led the Roadrunners to a 40-5 overall record and a perfect 24-0 run through the Foothill Conference schedule. Rio Hondo surged to a 33-game winning streak that season and advanced to the State Championships Final Four.

His 2010 squad also reached the State Championships Final Four and was a part of a stretch of 12 consecutive seasons (2005-2016) that saw the Roadrunners qualify for the postseason.

The baseball program at Rio Hondo could easily be referred to as Shortstop U. Salazar’s program has produced the most Division I shortstop in the area including Evan Longoria (Long Beach State), Corey Morales (Northern Colorado University), Kevin Mort (Ole Miss), and Christian Ybarra (LSU).

Longoria played one season for Rio Hondo in 2004 and earned All-Southern California as well as All-Foothill Conference honors after hitting .430 with seven home runs and 39 RBI over 35 games. The shortstop originally out of St. John Bosco High School went on to play at Long Beach State before being selected as the third overall pick in the 2006 Major League Baseball Draft by the Tampa Bay Rays.

Longoria has credited Salazar with helping him excel to become the player he is today.  

“I owe Mike for taking a chance on me and letting me become the player that I believed I could be,” said Longoria. “If it was an easy call, I would have had D1 offers. That wasn't the case. I’m appreciative of him and Rio Hondo for giving me a place to start my career.”

Longoria was named the 2008 American League Rookie of the Year and became the face of the franchise for the Rays after playing 10 seasons in Tampa (2008-17) while being selected to the American League All-Star team three times. He’s currently playing for the San Francisco Giants.

Former major leaguer Bobby LaFromboise, who played for the Seattle Mariners and Pittsburgh Pirates (2013-15), also got his start with Salazar and the Roadrunners.

Salazar is committed to advancing his players to the next level and is proud of his 91 percent transfer rate among sophomores in his program.

Prior to Rio Hondo, Salazar served as an assistant coach for six seasons at nearby Citrus College under California Community College Baseball Coaches Association (CCCBCA) Hall of Famer, mentor, and life-long friend Skip Claprood.

MIKE SALAZAR COACHING RECORD