TUCSON, Ariz. - Head Coach Wayne Graham of Rice University has been named National Coach of The Year by Collegiate Baseball newspaper.
It marks the first time Graham has been honored as National Coach of The Year by Collegiate Baseball. Graham led the Owls to their first national championship in any sport at the College World Series with a 14-2 title game win over Stanford.
Prior to the arrival of this fabulous coach 12 years ago, Rice had never won a conference championship or advanced to NCAA tournament play going back to the 1913 season. Graham inherited a program that posted a 16-34 overall record in 1991.
His credentials for building a program were remarkable. Graham guided San Jacinto North Community College (Houston, Tex.) to five national championships over an 11-year span.
He was named Collegiate Baseball's Coach of The Century in junior college baseball for his remarkable run of success. Graham quickly built Rice into a winner.
In 1992, the Owls showed a 13-game improvement in the win column. Five years later in 1997, he led Rice to the College World Series for the first time in history.
Since 1997, the Owls have won the Western Athletic Conference title each year and been to the College World Series three more times which culminated in the national title this season.
Previous Collegiate Baseball National Coaches of the Year include:
2002: Augie Garrido, Texas
2001: Jim Morris, Miami (Fla.)
2000: Skip Bertman, Louisiana St.
1999: Jim Morris, Miami (Fla.)
1998: Mike Gillespie, Southern Calif.; Mike Batesole, Cal. St. Northridge
1997: Skip Bertman, Louisiana St.
1996: Skip Bertman, Louisiana St.; Andy Lopez, Florida
1995: Augie Garrido, Cal. St. Fullerton
1994: Larry Cochell, Oklahoma
1993: Skip Bertman, Louisiana St.
1992: Andy Lopez, Pepperdine
1991: Skip Bertman, Louisiana St.
1990: Steve Webber, Georgia
1989: Dave Snow, Long Beach St.
1988: Larry Cochell, Cal. St. Fullerton
1987: Mark Marquess, Stanford
1986: Jerry Kindall, Arizona
1985: Ron Fraser, Miami (Fla.)
1984: Augie Garrido, Cal. St. Fullerton
1983: Cliff Gustafson, Texas
1982: Ron Fraser, Miami (Fla.)
1981: Jim Brock, Arizona St.
1980: Jerry Kindall, Arizona