University Southern California Trojans
November 06, 2026 | Baseball
LOS ANGELES – Former USC baseball assistant coach Frank Sanchez passed away on Wednesday, November 4 at the age of 73 due to complications from a brain tumor, his family shared with the University this week.
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Sanchez was the lead assistant under Head Coach Mike Gillespie from 1987-1996 before going on to be the manager at Pepperdine from 1997-2003. A highly accomplished coach at every stop along his career, Sanchez also persevered through hardship off the field, coming back from three different brain surgeries to remove benign tumors, with the first coming in 1985, second in 1990 and third in 1998.
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During Sanchez's tenure at USC, the Trojans compiled an overall record of 392-230-1(.630) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight times. With Sanchez on staff, USC claimed the Pacific 10 Conference - Southern Division championship three times (1991, 1995, 1996) and won 40 or more games six times.
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In 1995, Sanchez helped guide USC to the championship game of the College World Series before falling to Cal State Fullerton. The Trojans went 49-21 that season.
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Sanchez served as the pitching coach and coordinated the program's recruiting efforts under Gillespie, leading the USC staff to one of the top two team ERA's in the Pac-10 seven times in 10 years. Trojan hurlers garnered first-team All-Pac-10 recognition 11 times under his watch, including League Pitcher of the Year honors on three occasions (Jackie Nickell - 1991, Randy Flores – 1995, Seth Etherton - 1996).
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In taking the head job in Malibu following his time at USC, Sanchez went on to be one of the most influential figures in Pepperdine baseball history, having won 61.2 percent of his overall contests (257-161) while winning 72.1 percent of the conference games (150-58) in his tenure. The Waves made three NCAA Regionals (1999, 2001, 2003) and finished either first or second place in the conference each year. Sanchez guided the blue and orange to the consolation championship match in the 1999 Los Angeles Regional at USC.
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Prior to coaching at the collegiate level, Sanchez worked at Hart High in Valencia for 10 years from 1975-86, teaching special education and coaching baseball. Sanchez directed Hart High to an overall record of 110-47-1 (.700) and led the program to four consecutive league titles (1982-85) and a second-place CIF Southern Section finish in 1982.
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From 1983-86, Sanchez coached summer baseball in Alaska with the North Pole Nicks, serving as the team's assistant coach for three seasons and the head coach in 1986.
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Sanchez was a middle infielder at UC Riverside for two years (1973-74) earning his bachelor's degree in sociology in 1974. Sanchez obtained his master's degree in education from California Lutheran in 1978.
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Before attending UC Riverside, Sanchez was a two-year starter (1971-72) for Gillespie at College of the Canyons, where he earned second-team all-league honors.
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Sanchez is survived by his wife April, son, Tanner, daughter Lacey Kutylo, son in law Billy Kutylo and grandsons Will and Colt.
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Sanchez was the lead assistant under Head Coach Mike Gillespie from 1987-1996 before going on to be the manager at Pepperdine from 1997-2003. A highly accomplished coach at every stop along his career, Sanchez also persevered through hardship off the field, coming back from three different brain surgeries to remove benign tumors, with the first coming in 1985, second in 1990 and third in 1998.
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During Sanchez's tenure at USC, the Trojans compiled an overall record of 392-230-1(.630) and advanced to the NCAA Tournament eight times. With Sanchez on staff, USC claimed the Pacific 10 Conference - Southern Division championship three times (1991, 1995, 1996) and won 40 or more games six times.
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In 1995, Sanchez helped guide USC to the championship game of the College World Series before falling to Cal State Fullerton. The Trojans went 49-21 that season.
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Sanchez served as the pitching coach and coordinated the program's recruiting efforts under Gillespie, leading the USC staff to one of the top two team ERA's in the Pac-10 seven times in 10 years. Trojan hurlers garnered first-team All-Pac-10 recognition 11 times under his watch, including League Pitcher of the Year honors on three occasions (Jackie Nickell - 1991, Randy Flores – 1995, Seth Etherton - 1996).
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In taking the head job in Malibu following his time at USC, Sanchez went on to be one of the most influential figures in Pepperdine baseball history, having won 61.2 percent of his overall contests (257-161) while winning 72.1 percent of the conference games (150-58) in his tenure. The Waves made three NCAA Regionals (1999, 2001, 2003) and finished either first or second place in the conference each year. Sanchez guided the blue and orange to the consolation championship match in the 1999 Los Angeles Regional at USC.
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Prior to coaching at the collegiate level, Sanchez worked at Hart High in Valencia for 10 years from 1975-86, teaching special education and coaching baseball. Sanchez directed Hart High to an overall record of 110-47-1 (.700) and led the program to four consecutive league titles (1982-85) and a second-place CIF Southern Section finish in 1982.
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From 1983-86, Sanchez coached summer baseball in Alaska with the North Pole Nicks, serving as the team's assistant coach for three seasons and the head coach in 1986.
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Sanchez was a middle infielder at UC Riverside for two years (1973-74) earning his bachelor's degree in sociology in 1974. Sanchez obtained his master's degree in education from California Lutheran in 1978.
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Before attending UC Riverside, Sanchez was a two-year starter (1971-72) for Gillespie at College of the Canyons, where he earned second-team all-league honors.
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Sanchez is survived by his wife April, son, Tanner, daughter Lacey Kutylo, son in law Billy Kutylo and grandsons Will and Colt.
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