The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Rob Penders returns as Baseball's volunteer assistant coach
01.17.2006 | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas -- University of Texas head baseball coach Augie Garrido announced that Rob Penders will return as the program's volunteer assistant coach for the 2006 season on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
Penders' assignment to the post he formerly held from 1999-2000 comes after UT volunteer assistant coach Greg Swindell decided to not return for his second season in order to spend more time with his family. As he did during both the 1999 and 2000 campaigns with the Longhorns, Penders will be responsible for working with the Texas outfielders and serving as the squad's first base coach.
Following the 2000 season, Penders accepted the assistant coach position at Galveston College. After one year with the Whitecaps, he then became the assistant coach at San Jacinto College where he was in charge of recruiting, infield play and offense. Over his four seasons with the Gators, he not only helped the club in making three Junior College World Series appearances, in which San Jacinto finished second twice (2003 & 2004) and third in 2002, but also aided the club in setting school team records for doubles in 2002 and home runs in 2003.
A four-year letterwinner at Wake Forest, Penders was the Demon Deacons co-captain during both his junior and senior seasons (1995 & 1996) while playing primarily at third base and then switching to first in 1996. He was also used as a relief pitcher by the Demon Deacons and hit a total of 30 home runs over his collegiate career. Penders also played in the Cape Cod League for the Hyannis Mets during the summer of 1995.
After graduating from Wake Forest with a degree in communications and a minor in journalism in 1996, Penders played one year of professional baseball with the Richmond Roosters (Ind.) of the Independent Frontier League before becoming the head baseball coach at Bishop McGuinness High School in Winston-Salem, N.C. He then made his way to Austin and joined Garrido's staff as a volunteer manager in 1997 and volunteer assistant coach in 1999, while pursuing his master's degree in sport management from UT.
Prior to college, Penders was a two-time All-State shortstop for his father, Jim, who was the National High School Coach of the Year in 1996, at East Catholic High School in Manchester, Conn. Notably, his brother, Jim, is currently the head baseball coach at the University of Connecticut, where his father and uncle, Tom, were members of the Huskies 1965 College World Series team.
