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Mark Machtolf is entering his fifth year at the helm of the Gonzaga University baseball prgram. Prior to being named head coach on Aug. 7, 2003, the Spokane native served 13 years as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs. Since being named head coach, Machtolf has posted a 114-102 record for a .528 winning percentage, placing him third all-time in Gonzaga history. Machtolf made an immediate impact on the Bulldogs program guiding Gonzaga to a 16-11 record in West Coast Conference play and a 24-27 overall record for the 2004 season . He also placed three players on the All-WCC first team including catcher Kiel Thibault, who was named the WCC Player of the Year. Last season, for the first time as head coach, Machtolf guided the Bulldogs to a second-place finish in the West Coast Conference and, as a result, a spot in the WCC Championship series against regular- season champion University of San Diego. Gonzaga's second-place finish was its highest in WCC history as the Zags had not finished higher than fifth when the league played a non-divisional format. In 2007, the Bulldogs posted a 33-25 record, marking the most victories since the 1990 campaign. Last season also marked the first time since 1990 the Bulldogs posted 30-plus victories. As a result of their 15-6 WCC record, the Zags' landed eight All-West Coast Conference selections, including WCC Pitcher of the Year and third team All-American Clayton Mortensen. The eight conference accolades tied a program high. Under Machtolf's guidance the Bulldogs have become one of the top power-hitting teams in the country. In 2002 the Bulldogs set a school and West Coast Conference record for home runs with 92, finishing 7th in the nation in home-runs-per-game. Gonzaga slugger Nate Gold led the nation with 33 home runs en route to earning first-team All-America honors. In 1999, Gonzaga hitters smashed several offensive school records including home runs (82), runs scored (455), runs batted in (425) and hits per game (10.75). In the summer of 2006, Machtolf was named one of the assistant coaches for the USA Baseball Team. Under Machtolf's guidance, the National Team posted a 28-2-1 record, including going a perfect 8-0 at the Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU) World Championships in Havanna, Cuba. The .919 win percentage for the season was the best ever posted by a USA Baseball collegiate team and the tournament win was the inaugural title for a USA Baseball National Team in Cuba. Machtolf has also been instrumental in the construction of Gonzaga's new state-of-the-art facility, Patterson Baseball Complex and Washington Trust Field. Machtolf assisted with the guidance of the project that helped create the new home of Bulldog baseball. Prior to becoming head coach Machtolf's primary responsibilities were working with Zags hitters and coaching outfielders. He also served as Gonzaga's recruiting coordinator. During his 17-year tenure with the Bulldogs, Mactolf has seen the program produce 69 All-West Coast Conference selections, including two WCC Player of the Year selections and last season's conference Pitcher of the Year. He has also been part of coaching of four All-America selections, six academic All-American honorees as well as six Freshman All-America selections. Under his guidance, Gonzaga has seen 22 former Zags drafted in the Major League Baseball draft, including eight in the top-10 rounds and 12 in the top 20, en route to 33 Bulldogs signing professional contracts. Machtolf has coached three former Bulldogs with MLB experience, including two-time National League All-Star and 2004 NL Rookie of the Year Jason Bay. Machtolf entered the coaching ranks as the hitting coach at Gonzaga for the 1987-88 season and worked with the Zags until the completion of the 1990 campaign. Following one season as an assistant coach at Whitworth College, Machtolf accepted the head coaching position at Gonzaga Prep and coached through the 1995 season. In 1996, Machtolf returned to the Bulldog dugout as a volunteer coach and was promoted to associate head coach prior to the 1998 season. A 1987 graduate of Stanford University, Machtolf was a member of the Cardinal's 1987 College World Series championship team and was an All-CWS selection. A 4-year baseball letterman and 2-year football letterman, Machtolf received his B.A. in history in 1987. He received a Master of Education degree in 1990 from Spokane's Whitworth College. Machtolf and his wife Sheila have three sons, David (8-19-94), Steven (5-30-96), and Jack (6-28-98). |
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