Softball

Brad Pickler, one of the most respected softball coaches in the nation, begins his 37th season as the Chargers’ head coach. He enters the year with over 1,500 career wins and has led Cypress to a record ten CCCAA State Championships.

Pickler has also led the Chargers to 30 state finals appearances and helped Cypress earn 25 Orange Empire Conference Titles. His legacy includes directing the Chargers to a record three consecutive state crowns from 1997-1999 with a combined 177-17 mark. Then again the Chargers won three consecutive state championships in 2010-2012. In 2017, Coach Pickler completed the first ever undefeated State Championship run in CCCAA softball history, finishing the season 48-0. 

Pickler arrived at Cypress in 1987 and has turned the softball program into one of the most successful junior college programs in the United States. He took over a once depleted program and managed to turn it around overnight, earning himself 17 Conference Coach of the Year awards in his 36 seasons as head coach. Coach Pickler has been featured in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd section after guiding the Chargers to a once 66-5 record during the 1997 State Championship run.

Pickler owns the state record with ten state championships and will be looking for more as the Chargers seek an unprecedented 11th State Championship. In addition to his ten championships, the Chargers have placed second (1993 and 2004), third (1992, 1995, 2007, 2015, 2018), and fourth (1989, 1994, 2002, 2008, and 2016) during his tutelage. He was inducted into the Savanna High School Hall of Fame in 2016, the Cypress College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017, and was inducted into the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame in 2019.

Coach Pickler received his Bachelor’s Degree from Cal State Fullerton and his Master’s Degree in special education from Cal Lutheran University. He currently resides in Garden Grove and has been married to his wife Noel for 28 years. They have two children together, Paige and David. Paige graduated from Cal State San Marcos and earned her postgraduate degree from FIDM in fashion design. David graduated with honors at Cypress High School and is currently attending San Diego State University. Brad’s parents are Betty and Irv. Pickler’s older brother Scott is the Head Coach Emeritus of the highly successful baseball team here at Cypress.