Johnny Cardenas joined the Sun Devil Baseball staff as the Director of Operations and Catching Coordinator in the summer of 2026.
Cardenas previously had a 16-year tenure as head coach at Stephen F. Austin University, and his 293 wins are the most in program history. Joining the staff in 2005, he coached 13 players selected to the Major League Baseball Draft in his time with the Lumberjacks.
He most recently was a member of the Lipscomb baseball program, joining the Bisons prior to the 2025 season. He helped coach the Bison to a spot in the 2026 Starkville Regional after the program won its fourth Atlantic Sun tournament championship and a division title in the regular season.
Five Bison earned All-Conference honors with outfielder Hutson Miles going on to earn a Gold Glove by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
His 2010 squad posted a 34-win season and was voted Southland Conference Coach of the Year.
Prior to his time at SFA, he served as a head coach in the Texas Collegiate League, was head coach at Greenville High School in Greenville, Texas and coached the Colbert High School baseball team in Oklahoma.
The Amarillo, Texas native began his collegiate playing career at Seward County Community College then transferred to Texas Christian University and graduated in 1998.
Playing in 51 games during the 1993 season for the Horned Frogs, Cardenas hit .329 with seven home runs and 42 runs batted in. Named the team MVP, he was also named a GTE Academic All-American.
He was drafted in the 46th round of the 1993 MLB draft by the Seattle Mariners and spent five seasons with the Mariners, Texas Rangers and Chicago White Sox organizations.
Cardenas is married to his wife, Natalie, and they have three children, Crews, Easton and Zoe.