Bio

Brad Pickler, one of the most respected softball coaches in the nation, begins his 39th season as the Chargers’ head coach. He enters the year with 1,583 career wins and has led Cypress to a record ten 3C2A State Championships.

Pickler has also led the Chargers to 32 state finals appearances and helped Cypress earn 26 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. The Chargers later captured three more consecutive state championships from 2010–2012. In 2017, Coach Pickler completed the first-ever undefeated State Championship run in 3C2A 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 quickly built it into a powerhouse, earning 17 Orange Empire Conference Coach of the Year awards in his 39 seasons as head coach. Coach Pickler was also featured in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd after guiding the Chargers to a remarkable 66-5 record during the 1997 State Championship run.

Pickler owns the state record with ten state championships and continues to pursue more as the Chargers aim for an unprecedented 11th title. In addition to those championships, the Chargers have finished as 3C2A State Runner-Ups in 1993, 2004, and 2024, placed third in 1992, 1995, 2007, 2015, and 2018, and finished fourth in 1989, 1994, 2002, 2008, and 2016 during his tenure. He was inducted into the Savanna High School Hall of Fame in 2016, the Cypress College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017, the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Hall of Fame in 2019, and the 3C2A Hall of Fame in 2025.

Coach Pickler earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Cal State Fullerton and his Master’s Degree in Special Education from Cal Lutheran University. He resides in Garden Grove with his wife, Noel. They have two children, Paige and David. Paige graduated from Cal State San Marcos and earned her postgraduate degree from FIDM in fashion design. David graduated with honors from San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Finance. Brad’s parents are Betty and Irv, and his older brother Scott is the Head Coach Emeritus of the highly successful Cypress College baseball program.