Rice University Athletics
Baseball: Rupp Named Assistant Coach
1/25/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Rupp, who succeeded Graham as coach of the Gators in 1992, replaces Jon Prather on the Rice staff. Prather resigned earlier this month to pursue other interests.
"Hiring Chris, along with Mike Taylor earlier this year, assures the success of the Rice baseball program for the next 20 years," said Graham, entering his 10th season as the Owls coach. "That was one of my goals, immediate and long-term success."
"I appreciate the opportunity to move up to the Division I level, especially at a top program at Rice," said Rupp. "It's a huge honor and I'm very excited."
Rupp will be the Owls' recruiting coordinator, in addition to working with the Rice outfielders and serving as bench coach during games.
The 43-year-old Rupp previously coached under Graham at San Jac during the 1991 season, then moved to the top spot in 1992 when Graham came to Rice. In his nine seasons, Rupp led the Gators on four trips to the junior college World Series in Grand Junction, Colo., including second-place finishes in 1998-99. He had a 346-170 record at San Jac.
Previously, Rupp had spent six seasons as the head coach at North Shore High School in suburban east Houston, leading the Mustangs to the 1987 Class 5A regional championship and a spot in the state tournament, the school's first trip to Austin. Among his players that season was pitcher Brian Bohanon, a first-round draft choice still in the major leagues with the Colorado Rockies.
Rupp also coached the Liberal Bee Jays to the Jayhawk League title in 1990 and a seventh-place finish in the NBC World Series in Wichita, Kan.
Among Rupp's coaching honors are two Region XIV south coach of the year awards, four ABCA regional coach of the year honors, and four Texas-New Mexico JCBCA coach of the year awards. Last summer, he also coached the Texas-New Mexico JCBCA all-stars and served as an assistant coach on the NJCAA all-star squad which toured Japan.
Rupp earned his B.S. degree from Texas A&M in 1980 and his master's at Stephen F. Austin State in 1986. He's also done postgraduate work at Houston and Fort Hays State.
Rupp and his wife, Lisa, have three daughters: Gretchen (5), and twins Keely and Emily (2). They live in Houston.
Rupp's hiring completes the 2001 Rice coaching staff. Taylor had been named earlier to succeed Chris Feris as an assistant coach, and former Owl catcher Zane Curry will work as a volunteer assistant with the Rice pitching staff while he completes his degree requirements.
The Owls, ranked as high as seventh in the preseason polls, open their 2001 season next Thursday against Baylor in the Astros College Classic at Enron Field.
