CSUN Athletics Announces the Passing of Bob Hiegert

CSUN Athletics is mourning the passing of Matador Hall of Fame baseball coach and former Athletics Director, Bob Hiegert at the age of 83.

A legendary figure in CSUN Athletics' history, Hiegert is the longest tenured and winningest coach in Matador baseball history with 586 victories accumulated over 18 seasons. Hiegert coached CSUN Baseball to the pinnacle of college baseball by winning two NCAA Division II National Championships in 1970 and 1984.

"Bob was always encouraging to me and supportive of our program regardless of the time or day," said CSUN head baseball coach Eddie Cornejo. "Bob's legacy will continue to be shared to our student-athletes as long as I'm a Matador. If there is a more selfless family than the Hiegerts, I have yet to know of their existence."

Hiegert would graduate from Notre Dame High School in nearby Sherman Oaks before attending CSUN, then known as San Fernando Valley State College in 1960. While at Valley State, Hiegert met his wife Jackie and the two were very active on campus, as Bob joined the Delta Sigma Nu Fraternity and was elected to the freshman steering committee and a sophomore class president and Jackie was a cheerleader and a homecoming princess along with a member of the women's honor service organization Camenae.
Bob Hiegert

Hiegert was also a standout on the baseball field at Valley State. A four-year starting shortstop with the Matadors from 1960-63, Hiegert played for the Matadors' first baseball coach in team history, Phil Munroe, and CSUN Hall of Fame coach, Stan Charnofsky, while he was a member of Valley State's first winning season in 1960. He would also be named Athlete of the Year during his time with the Matadors.

Hiegert became the first in his family to graduate from college in 1964 and he went on to receive his master's degree in 1968.

After his college playing days, Hiegert had a stint playing professional baseball in the Los Angeles Angels organization before returning to Northridge in a coaching capacity.

Hiegert would assume the reigns as head coach in 1967 and promptly lead the program to three consecutive winning seasons to begin his tenure.

In his fourth season as head coach, the Matadors would have their best season to date. Valley State chalked up 41 wins in the 1970 season, taking the California Collegiate Athletic Association title and marching its way through the NCAA Tournament. In that magical season, the Matadors dropped their first game in the national championship series before stringing together four consecutive wins to capture the NCAA title for the first time in program history.

Under Hiegert, CSUN would become a Division II national power and a perennial postseason team, earning a whopping 11 NCAA Tournament berths. The Matadors also won eight conference championships, claimed five regional championships and posted 14 total winning seasons.

In Hiegert's last season leading the team in 1984, CSUN would return to the top of college baseball with another historic season. The Matadors won a then team-record 46 games while setting 29 team and individual records and averaging an impressive 8.1 runs per game. CSUN posted an 8-2 record in the postseason including winning their last four games by a 42-12 margin to win the program's second national championship.

The 1984 trip to the College World Series marked the eighth time the Matadors had accomplished the feat in Hiegert's tenure. Among those eight trips to the national championship, CSUN finished in the top three a total of five times, highlighted by the two national championship wins and a runner-up finish in 1972.

Hiegert would be named National Coach of the Year after his final season on the bench while he also received his fifth District VIII Coach of the Year honor, capping an extraordinary career that also consisted of six CCAA Coach of the Year accolades.

Hiegert mentored and coached countless students during his time at CSUN and remained a key figure in the lives of many long after their time at CSUN.

On the bench, Hiegert produced a total of 20 All-Americans and 57 All-District selections along with a whopping 107 All-Conference honorees. Twenty-three of his players were selected in the MLB First-Year Player Draft with five eventually playing at the Major League level.
CSUN Hall of Famer Bob Hiegert

Hiegert would also take on the position of CSUN Men's Athletic Director beginning in 1978 and would hold onto that post well after retiring from coaching. He later took on the role of men's and women's Director of Athletics from 1988-95 before taking on the mantle of Commissioner of the CCAA in 1997, a position he held until his retirement in 2013.

A member of three separate Hall of Fames, Hiegert would be inducted into the CSUN Athletics' Hall of Fame in 1998 before eventually receiving the honor in the CCAA and the American Baseball Coaches Association.

This past January, Hiegert would see the renaming of the home field he spent so many of his years coaching. At the Preseason CSUN Baseball Banquet, Bob and Jackie and many former players were in attendance for the official renaming of the CSUN home baseball field to Robert J. Hiegert Field, cementing his unparalleled legacy with the Matadors.

While Hiegert is synonymous with the history of CSUN Athletics and the Matador baseball program, CSUN has also had a major impact on the Hiegert family with his daughter Lorie, his son-in-law Mike, brother-in-law Ron, sister-in-law Terri, nieces Tammy and Deana all earning degrees from the university.

Bob Hiegert is survived by his wife Jackie of 61 years along with his daughter Lorie, and his granddaughters Monica, Sarah and Alissa. The Hiegert family will hold a small gathering and private burial while there will be an opportunity to celebrate the life of Bob Hiegert at a future CSUN Baseball game in 2026.

In honor of his memory and lifelong dedication to student-athletes, the Hiegert family kindly asks that, in lieu of flowers or gifts, donations be made to support CSUN Baseball's scholarships and operations. To donate, click here.

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CSUN Athletics Announces the Passing of Bob Hiegert

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