Chris Hernandez joined the Bulldogs as the program's full-time Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator in August of 2017.  He brings high-quality experience as a pitching coach with a major league perspective on the sport.

Hernandez competed for Redlands High School, where he earned a pair of All-Citrus Belt League awards, before eventually embarking on a professional career with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  After being drafted in 2003, he enjoyed a six-year tenure with the Pirates' organization and reached the Triple-A level.  This two-time All-Star played for two championship teams and finished his career with a 23-15 record with 56 saves and a 3.22 ERA while appearing in 230 games.

Hernandez also enjoyed various stints with the Arizona Fall League Phoenix Desert Dogs and Venezuelan Winter League, earning multiple awards and championships along the way.

Hernandez moved into coaching by sharing his pitching expertise with Riverside Community College from 2010 to 2012.  He helped the team make consecutive appearances in the playoffs while developing one all-conference pitcher.  In addition, three pitchers were drafted under Hernandez's tutelage.

Most recently, Hernandez served as the Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Cal State University Los Angeles for the past five seasons.  He gained tremendous experience with the inner-workings of a collegiate baseball program, with responsibilities ranging from customizing throwing programs to overseeing field maintenance to assisting with game management duties to effectively recruiting student-athletes.  While with the Golden Eagles, Hernandez helped lead a pitching staff that put together a historic performance in 2015 when the squad won 12 more games it did the year before, making CSULA one of the most improved teams in NCAA Division II that season.  In addition, he was a big contributor to the Golden Eagles' inaugural California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) championship tournament title that sent CSULA to the 2013 NCAA playoffs for the first time since 2007. 

In addition, Hernandez played an integral role in the CSULA pitchers garnering nine All-CCAA awards, four All-West Region nods, and three All-America selections during his tenure.  He helped develop eight pitchers who were either drafted or signed professionally.  

As a student-athlete, Hernandez began his collegiate career at RCC and helped the Tigers to back-to-back California Community College State Championships in 2000 and 2001.  Individually, he collected All-Orange Empire Conference accolades each of his seasons. 

After transferring to the University of South Carolina, he helped the team reach the College World Series each of his two years. During his junior season, South Carolina won the South Eastern Conference Championship and finished second in the nation at the College World Series. During his senior campaign, South Carolina made another trip to the College World Series and finished sixth in the nation.  While at South Carolina, he earned the Tom Price Award for hard work and dedication and was named to the Dean's List. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in experimental psychology.

Hernandez, his wife Robin, and their children Angelina and Bobby reside in nearby Loma Linda.