St. Edward's University Baseball
Head Coach

Rob Penders
Head Coach

Following a national search that generated interest from more than 100 applicants, Rob Penders was named head baseball coach in 2006. Prior to joining St. Edward’s, Penders was the first-base coach for University of Texas–Austin Head Coach Augie Garrido and the 2006 Texas Longhorns squad. He arrived at Texas in January 2006 for his second tour of duty with the Longhorns. Previously, he had served on the coaching staff for two seasons in 1999 and 2000, when the team reached the NCAA Division I College World Series.

Between his tenures at UT–Austin, Penders spent time as an assistant at Galveston College during the 2001 season and from 2002 to 2005 at San Jacinto College. During his four years at San Jacinto, the team qualified for the Junior College World Series three times, including a third-place finish in 2002 and second-place honors in 2003 and 2004.

As a college player, Penders was a four-year letter-winner for Wake Forest and a team captain as a junior and senior. He played multiple positions, but primarily third base, and was voted to the Atlantic Coast Conference all-academic team three times from 1994 to 1996.

In his prep days, Penders was a two-time all-state shortstop at East Catholic High School in Manchester, Conn. He played there for his father, Jim Penders, who was the National High School Coach of the Year in 1996. Rob’s brother currently serves as the head baseball coach for the University of Connecticut, where his father and uncle, Tom Penders (head men’s basketball coach at the University of Houston), were members of the 1965 Huskies College World Series team.