David Esquer '87 was named Stanford's Clarke and Elizabeth Nelson Director of Baseball on June 16, 2017, becoming the 21st head coach in program history.
Esquer succeeded Mark Marquess, who retired after 41 years at the helm of the program. Esquer played under Marquess on Stanford's 1987 national championship team, and served as an assistant on The Farm from 1991-96. Prior to taking over the reins at Stanford, Esquer spent the previous 18 seasons as the head coach at Cal, where he was the 2011 National Coach of the Year, and led the Bears to five NCAA Regionals and the 2011 College World Series.
The 2021 season will be Esquer’s fourth in charge of the program after posting a 45-14 record in 2019 and a 5-11 mark in a 2020 season cut short by the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Esquer enters the 2021 season with a career record of 621-504-2 (.552) through 21 seasons as a collegiate head coach, including a 96-37 (.722) mark on The Farm. Included in the overall ledger is a 262-273 record in Pac-12 play, including a 44-15 mark while at Stanford.
The Cardinal’s .763 win percentage in 2019 tied for the fifth-best in program history, while its 14 losses matched the third-fewest. Stanford finished 22-7 in Pac-12 play, claiming second place before earning its 11th Super Regional berth overall, and the first since 2014. Nine Cardinal were drafted following the 2019 season, and Maverick Handley was named Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
In 2018, his first season in charge of the program, Esquer guided Stanford to its first Pac-12 Conference title since 2004, matching a program record for fewest losses with 12 (minimum 50 games played) while picking up Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors. Stanford’s 46 wins equaled the 10th-most in program history, while the Cardinal's .793 winning percentage ranked second. Nine Cardinal were named All-Pac-12, and Stanford hosted an NCAA Regional for the 17th time.
Through 18 seasons at Cal, Esquer compiled a 525-467-2 (.529) overall record, was named the 2001 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, produced 13 All-Americans and mentored 81 Major League draft picks, including five first-round selections. Conor Jackson was the first of the five first-round picks, selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2003 before Brandon Morrow was selected fifth overall by the Seattle Mariners in 2006. David Cooper (Toronto Blue Jays, 2008) and Brett Jackson (Chicago Cubs, 2009) followed before right-hander Daulton Jefferies was drafted in 2016 by the Oakland A's.
During his time at the helm of the Cardinal program, Esquer has seen two more players selected in the first round of an MLB Draft, running the total to seven in his career. Nico Hoerner was drafted 24th overall by the Chicago Cubs in 2018, while Kris Bubic was selected 40th overall by the Kansas City Royals in that same draft.
A shortstop at Stanford from 1984-87, Esquer was a starter on the Cardinal's 1987 College World Series championship team. He earned all-tournament honors after hitting .350 with six RBIs in Omaha. He also earned All-Pac-10 Southern Division honors as a senior, batting .318 with 41 RBIs and 16 stolen bases. Esquer went on to play professional baseball for four seasons with the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels and Milwaukee Brewers.
Following his playing career, Esquer spent six seasons as an assistant under Coach Marquess. His time as an assistant with the Cardinal included five NCAA Regional appearances and a fifth-place finish at the 1995 College World Series.
In three seasons as the top assistant at Pepperdine from 1997-99, Esquer was the program's chief recruiting coordinator as well as hitting instructor, infield coach and handler of the third base coaching duties.
Esquer was a three-sport star and class valedictorian at Palma High School in Salinas, Calif. He was tabbed the "Athlete of the Year" at Palma High School after being named team captain and MVP in baseball, football and basketball.
Esquer earned a bachelor's degree in economics and a master's degree in sociology from Stanford in 1987. He and his wife, Lynn, have a daughter, Gabrielle, and son, Xavier.
