Rice Announces Endowment of Head Baseball Coaching Position
3/1/2022 11:42:00 AM | Baseball, General, Owl Club
Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach
When José Cruz Jr. is introduced before Wednesday night's baseball game with Baylor at Reckling Park, he will do so as the Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach thanks to an endowed gift by Bob and Betty Bixby.
"Bob and I love sports and think that they provide excellent preparation for life," Betty Bixby said. "We have been fans of Rice baseball for years, and we would like to see it thrive and get back into the national conversation. We want to help that happen for Rice, a university where athletes really are student athletes."
The endowment is the second for a Rice Athletics coaching position and one of the few endowed head baseball coaching positions at the Division I level of NCAA Baseball. The Dunlevie Family Head Football Coach endowment was created in 2018.
"We are grateful for the many ways Betty and Bob Bixby have continued to support our department and our student-athletes," said Joe Karlgaard, Rice Director of Athletics, Recreation & Lifetime Fitness. "With this gift, the Bixbys are making a permanent and positive impact on Rice baseball by supporting our head coach and ensuring we can always recruit and retain the absolute best leader for the program. I'm overwhelmed by the continued generosity of the Bixby family and very excited by the transformative power of their gift to Rice baseball."
"Bob and Betty Bixby are remarkable enthusiasts and steadfast supporters of Rice Athletics, valuing both the excellence of our programs and the values embedded in our commitment to our student-athletes," said Rice University President David Leebron. "Their generous gift to endow the position of head coach of the Rice baseball team will advance our success now and into the future. We are deeply grateful to the Bixbys for this incredible support of our athletes and the success of one of our most cherished programs."
Cruz returned to Rice as the 22nd head baseball coach in school history on June 9, 2022, becoming the first former Owl to return to coach his alma mater in 70 years. His decision to sign with Rice as one of the most sought-after high school recruits in 1992 proved to be a transformational moment in the development of the baseball program at Rice into a powerhouse. His mission to return the Owls to that level of performance has been bolstered by the support provided by alumni and boosters such as the Bixbys.
"I am humbled to be the first Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach, Cruz stated. "Their association with this program is evident in so many ways and carrying this title forward serves as a reminder of their unwavering belief in the future of Rice baseball."
In addition to the head coaching endowment, the Bixby's gift also includes a portion dedicated to an operational endowment to support priorities of the head baseball coach. The endowments are the latest gifts from the Bixbys. In 2007, they provided the lead gift for the Robert E. and Elizabeth W. Bixby Academic Center located in Tudor Fieldhouse and in 2016 funded the Bixby Batting Barn at Reckling Park.
Dr. Bob Bixby co-founded two software companies, most recently Gurobi Optimization serving as CEO from 2008-2015, and currently serves on the board of directors. Gurobi optimization software is employed in over 40 different application areas and used by over 2,500 companies worldwide to make better business decisions. Dr. Bixby is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and is currently Noah Harding Professor Emeritus at Rice University as well as visiting Professor of Mathematics at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Dr. Bixby earned a B.S. in industrial engineering from UC Berkeley in 1968 and an M.S. and a Ph.D. in operations research from Cornell University in 1971 and 1972, respectively.
Mrs. Bixby is a member of the Women's Athletics Advisory Board at Rice as well as a member of the Charity Guild of Catholic Women. She earned a B.A. in history from California State University, East Bay (previously California State University, Hayward) in 1967 and a B.S. in nursing from Texas Woman's University in 1988.
Rice Athletics and the "R" Association presented the Bixby's with the Honorary R Award in 2017 for their continuous support of Rice student-athletes.
Coaching endowments provide foundational support for Rice Athletics, helping student-athletes and teams reach their full potential. To learn more, contact Ginny Jones, executive director of development, at 713-348-2096 or gbjones@rice.edu.
"Bob and I love sports and think that they provide excellent preparation for life," Betty Bixby said. "We have been fans of Rice baseball for years, and we would like to see it thrive and get back into the national conversation. We want to help that happen for Rice, a university where athletes really are student athletes."
The endowment is the second for a Rice Athletics coaching position and one of the few endowed head baseball coaching positions at the Division I level of NCAA Baseball. The Dunlevie Family Head Football Coach endowment was created in 2018.
"We are grateful for the many ways Betty and Bob Bixby have continued to support our department and our student-athletes," said Joe Karlgaard, Rice Director of Athletics, Recreation & Lifetime Fitness. "With this gift, the Bixbys are making a permanent and positive impact on Rice baseball by supporting our head coach and ensuring we can always recruit and retain the absolute best leader for the program. I'm overwhelmed by the continued generosity of the Bixby family and very excited by the transformative power of their gift to Rice baseball."
"Bob and Betty Bixby are remarkable enthusiasts and steadfast supporters of Rice Athletics, valuing both the excellence of our programs and the values embedded in our commitment to our student-athletes," said Rice University President David Leebron. "Their generous gift to endow the position of head coach of the Rice baseball team will advance our success now and into the future. We are deeply grateful to the Bixbys for this incredible support of our athletes and the success of one of our most cherished programs."
Cruz returned to Rice as the 22nd head baseball coach in school history on June 9, 2022, becoming the first former Owl to return to coach his alma mater in 70 years. His decision to sign with Rice as one of the most sought-after high school recruits in 1992 proved to be a transformational moment in the development of the baseball program at Rice into a powerhouse. His mission to return the Owls to that level of performance has been bolstered by the support provided by alumni and boosters such as the Bixbys.
"I am humbled to be the first Bixby Family Head Baseball Coach, Cruz stated. "Their association with this program is evident in so many ways and carrying this title forward serves as a reminder of their unwavering belief in the future of Rice baseball."
In addition to the head coaching endowment, the Bixby's gift also includes a portion dedicated to an operational endowment to support priorities of the head baseball coach. The endowments are the latest gifts from the Bixbys. In 2007, they provided the lead gift for the Robert E. and Elizabeth W. Bixby Academic Center located in Tudor Fieldhouse and in 2016 funded the Bixby Batting Barn at Reckling Park.
Dr. Bob Bixby co-founded two software companies, most recently Gurobi Optimization serving as CEO from 2008-2015, and currently serves on the board of directors. Gurobi optimization software is employed in over 40 different application areas and used by over 2,500 companies worldwide to make better business decisions. Dr. Bixby is also a member of the National Academy of Engineering and is currently Noah Harding Professor Emeritus at Rice University as well as visiting Professor of Mathematics at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Dr. Bixby earned a B.S. in industrial engineering from UC Berkeley in 1968 and an M.S. and a Ph.D. in operations research from Cornell University in 1971 and 1972, respectively.
Mrs. Bixby is a member of the Women's Athletics Advisory Board at Rice as well as a member of the Charity Guild of Catholic Women. She earned a B.A. in history from California State University, East Bay (previously California State University, Hayward) in 1967 and a B.S. in nursing from Texas Woman's University in 1988.
Rice Athletics and the "R" Association presented the Bixby's with the Honorary R Award in 2017 for their continuous support of Rice student-athletes.
Coaching endowments provide foundational support for Rice Athletics, helping student-athletes and teams reach their full potential. To learn more, contact Ginny Jones, executive director of development, at 713-348-2096 or gbjones@rice.edu.
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