WT baseball coach Matt Vanderburg named to lead Stephen F. Austin program

CANYON — After 16 years of leading the baseball program at West Texas A&M, Matt Vanderburg has accepted the position of head coach at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, the university announced Thursday.

“I want to thank Coach Vanderburg for his commitment to West Texas A&M and the community of Canyon over the last 16 years,” Interim Director of Athletics Thompson Mayberry said in a news release. “He has put Buffalo Baseball on the national stage with high character student-athletes. We wish him and his family continued success at Stephen F. Austin.”

Vanderburg leaves for the Division I program after building Buffalo baseball into a regional and national contender. The Norman, Oklahoma native recently completed his 16th season in Canyon, registering an overall record of 515-287 (.642) as he led the Buffs to three Lone Star Conference Championships (2015, 2018, 2021) along with nine trips to the NCAA Postseason. WT has registered 91 All-LSC honorees during that time, with 53 All-Region players and 13 All-Americans.

“This journey has been amazing; Canyon has been my home for 16 years. Thank you to the Canyon community and all the fans for your support. I’m grateful to Dr. O’Brien for the opportunity to build this program and to Michael McBroom for providing the necessary tools. Dr. Wendler’s continued support has been incredible, and Thompson Mayberry’s leadership has been phenomenal,” Vanderburg said in the WT announcement. “To the administrators in the athletics department, the training staff, and the strength and conditioning team, you all are the heart of athletics, thank you for what you have done for this program. Thank you to every assistant coach that has helped me along the way, I have learned so much from each of you, and we built this together.”

The Buffs registered 332 victories in LSC play under Vanderburg, with three LSC Tournament Titles (2016, 2017, 2019). WT produced 12 seasons of at least 30 victories, while reaching the 40-win mark on two occasions (2018, 2019). Buffalo Baseball qualified for 12 LSC Tournaments, and Vanderburg was named the 2018 NCBWA South Central Region Coach of the Year as WT hosted the first NCAA Regional Tournament in program history.

“Most importantly, thank you to my former and current athletes as well as other Buff Baseball alumni," Vanderburg said. "You each made this program a recognized national Division II power, and I’m incredibly proud of every one of your accomplishments. I have loved being a part of the community, this university, and WT Athletics. You all made a lasting impact on my life. Once a Buff, Always a Buff. We Trust.”

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: West Texas A&M baseball coach Matt Vanderburg chosen to lead Stephen F. Austin