Legendary Coach Wayne Graham Passes Away
9/4/2024 9:17:00 AM | Baseball
The architect of Rice’s rise to the top of the college baseball world
Wayne Graham, the architect of Rice's rise to the top of the college baseball world, passed away in Austin, Texas on Tuesday night at 88.
Graham compiled a 1,173–528–2 record in 27 seasons at Rice, taking over a program in 1992 that had never won a conference championship in its previous 79 years and turning it into a perennial conference champion that became a fixture at the top of the national rankings and a familiar name in the field of the College World Series each June.
"What Coach Graham accomplished during his time at Rice is truly remarkable," Rice Vice President and Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland said. "He built a program that served as the envy of college baseball for nearly three decades. I am grateful I was able to spend time with him last fall and thank him for all he had done for Rice baseball and our University. He set the standard for excellence within our athletics programs and his legacy will never be forgotten," McClelland added.
"With deep sorrow and immense gratitude, we honor and remember Coach Graham whose leadership brought national acclaim to the Rice baseball program and inspired a generation of student-athletes, alumni, and fans," Rice President Reginald DesRoches said. "A Hall of Famer and true legend, his legacy lives on through the countless student-athletes he impacted. On behalf of the Rice family, we extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones, former players, and all who were touched by his extraordinary life."
He led the Owls to 23 consecutive NCAA appearances from 1995-2017, to 11 Super Regionals in the first 15 years of the expanded playoff format (1999-2013), guided Rice to seven appearances in the College World Series in 12 years, and gave Rice its first NCAA team championship in 2003 when Rice downed Stanford 14-2 to claim the College World Series title.
Along the way, Graham turned South Main into a haven for college talent, producing five national players of the year, 28 first-team All-Americans, seven conference players of the year, six conference pitchers of the year, 19 first-round draft picks—including the first overall pick in 1997 in Matt Anderson, and sending 41 players to the major leagues, the most recent being lefthanded pitcher Evan Kravetz, who pitched for the Owls in Graham's final two seasons and made his debut with Cincinnati on August 28.
In 2004, the Owls' powerful pitching trio of Philip Humber, Jeff Niemann, and Wade Townsend were selected third, fourth, and eighth in the first round of the draft as Rice became the first school ever to have three players selected in the first round of the MLB draft.
Following a 29-26 record in his initial season on South Main, the credibility that Graham brought to campus was made evident when Jose Cruz Jr., the son of Astros legend Jose Cruz who was one of the most sought-after players in the country, chose to sign with Rice.
In his first season, Cruz shared national freshman of the year honors from Collegiate Baseball, and he earned All-Southwest Conference honors after driving in a school-record 59 runs. A year later, he was the consensus conference player of the year and first-team All-America, hitting .401 with 14 home runs and breaking his school mark with 68 RBI.
That success drew even more top talent to Rice, including a 1995 recruiting class with Lance Berkman and Matt Anderson.
That same year, Graham's efforts began to have a national impact on the field as the team qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in history. Rice eliminated defending national champion LSU at the Tigers' home field in Baton Rouge before falling to eventual College World Series champion Cal-State Fullerton.
Cruz hit .377 in 1995 with 16 home runs and 76 RBIs and led the nation with 76 walks. Seattle made him the third overall pick in that year's MLB Draft. In 2022, he returned to Rice again, when he was named Owls head coach.
"I am deeply sorry to hear about the passing of a man who had a significant impact on my life," Cruz stated. "His encouragement to push us beyond any and all limits has been a valuable lesson that I carry with me and strive to apply as I follow in his footsteps. The example of being committed to greatness no matter what others thought was possible was evident here at Rice, and his accomplishments here are and will always be a source of joy for all Owls. He will always be celebrated, remembered, and missed. Rest in peace, Coach Wayne Graham. My heartfelt condolences to Tanya and the family."
Berkman who was named the NCBWA Player of the Year in 1997, joined Graham in the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. Anthony Rendon, who won the Dick Howser Award in 2010 in his sophomore season under Graham, became the 25th of his players to join him in the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 2022.
The success of the program on the field energized a generation of Rice alumni and local baseball fans, and the interest in the program led to the realization that a program of national prominence required a facility of similar stature in 2000, Reckling Park opened its gates and quickly became the model for a new generation of college baseball showcases.
He also introduced the Old English R as the team's primary mark, and thanks to the exposure gained through the success of the Owls on the field, the mark became synonymous with the Rice brand. In 2007, the distinctive 'R" along with the Old English "Owls" work mark was formally adopted as the Owls' branding for the entire athletic department.
Rice's gain of a transformational presence in the dugout came at the expense of other programs in the area who had not deemed his incredible success at San Jacinto Junior College worthy of consideration for their programs.
Graham immediately turned the Gators into a force to be reckoned with. His first squad in 1981 (featuring freshman Roger Clemens) went 43-7 and finished second in the Texas JC ranks. The following two seasons brought 89 more victories (only 22 losses) and a pair of conference titles.
In 1984, he led the Gators to the first of seven consecutive 50-win seasons and the national JC tournament. A loss in the championship game only served to fuel the fires that would lead to three straight national titles in 1985-87. Another runner-up showing in 1988 was followed by two more titles in 1989 and 1990, giving the Gators five championships in six years.
He was named Collegiate Baseball Magazine's Junior College Coach of the Century, as well as the newspaper's Coach of the Decade for the 1980s. He was named the national JC coach of the year five times and the top Texas JC coach six times. His uniform number (37) was retired by San Jacinto, and he was inducted into the junior college hall of fame in May 1995.
Graham was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame at Fort Worth in 2003. In 2004 he was named one of Houston's 38 Sports Legends to coincide with the city hosting Super Bowl XXXVIII. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Conference USA Hall of Fame in 2019.
Graham played baseball for two seasons under the legendary Bibb Falk at Texas before embarking on an 11-year professional career as a third baseman and outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets organizations.
Despite several strong seasons in the minors -- he hit .300 or better in six of 10 minor league stops, including a .311 average with 17 home runs and 70 runs batted in at Dallas-Fort Worth in 1962 to earn Texas League Player of the Year honors -- Graham had just two brief stints in the major leagues which was comprised with only 20 teams at that time. The first came in 1963 when he appeared in 10 games for Gene Mauch's Philadelphia Phillies. A year later, Graham played 20 games for legendary Hall of Famer Casey Stengel with the New York Mets, and he wore Stengal's #37 in tribute to the legendary manager.
Following his playing days, Graham returned to UT to receive his B.S. in physical education in 1970, and he added a master's of education from the University of Houston in 1973.
Funeral arrangements are pending at this time.
Graham compiled a 1,173–528–2 record in 27 seasons at Rice, taking over a program in 1992 that had never won a conference championship in its previous 79 years and turning it into a perennial conference champion that became a fixture at the top of the national rankings and a familiar name in the field of the College World Series each June.
"What Coach Graham accomplished during his time at Rice is truly remarkable," Rice Vice President and Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland said. "He built a program that served as the envy of college baseball for nearly three decades. I am grateful I was able to spend time with him last fall and thank him for all he had done for Rice baseball and our University. He set the standard for excellence within our athletics programs and his legacy will never be forgotten," McClelland added.
"With deep sorrow and immense gratitude, we honor and remember Coach Graham whose leadership brought national acclaim to the Rice baseball program and inspired a generation of student-athletes, alumni, and fans," Rice President Reginald DesRoches said. "A Hall of Famer and true legend, his legacy lives on through the countless student-athletes he impacted. On behalf of the Rice family, we extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones, former players, and all who were touched by his extraordinary life."
He led the Owls to 23 consecutive NCAA appearances from 1995-2017, to 11 Super Regionals in the first 15 years of the expanded playoff format (1999-2013), guided Rice to seven appearances in the College World Series in 12 years, and gave Rice its first NCAA team championship in 2003 when Rice downed Stanford 14-2 to claim the College World Series title.
Along the way, Graham turned South Main into a haven for college talent, producing five national players of the year, 28 first-team All-Americans, seven conference players of the year, six conference pitchers of the year, 19 first-round draft picks—including the first overall pick in 1997 in Matt Anderson, and sending 41 players to the major leagues, the most recent being lefthanded pitcher Evan Kravetz, who pitched for the Owls in Graham's final two seasons and made his debut with Cincinnati on August 28.
In 2004, the Owls' powerful pitching trio of Philip Humber, Jeff Niemann, and Wade Townsend were selected third, fourth, and eighth in the first round of the draft as Rice became the first school ever to have three players selected in the first round of the MLB draft.
Following a 29-26 record in his initial season on South Main, the credibility that Graham brought to campus was made evident when Jose Cruz Jr., the son of Astros legend Jose Cruz who was one of the most sought-after players in the country, chose to sign with Rice.
In his first season, Cruz shared national freshman of the year honors from Collegiate Baseball, and he earned All-Southwest Conference honors after driving in a school-record 59 runs. A year later, he was the consensus conference player of the year and first-team All-America, hitting .401 with 14 home runs and breaking his school mark with 68 RBI.
That success drew even more top talent to Rice, including a 1995 recruiting class with Lance Berkman and Matt Anderson.
That same year, Graham's efforts began to have a national impact on the field as the team qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time in history. Rice eliminated defending national champion LSU at the Tigers' home field in Baton Rouge before falling to eventual College World Series champion Cal-State Fullerton.
Cruz hit .377 in 1995 with 16 home runs and 76 RBIs and led the nation with 76 walks. Seattle made him the third overall pick in that year's MLB Draft. In 2022, he returned to Rice again, when he was named Owls head coach.
"I am deeply sorry to hear about the passing of a man who had a significant impact on my life," Cruz stated. "His encouragement to push us beyond any and all limits has been a valuable lesson that I carry with me and strive to apply as I follow in his footsteps. The example of being committed to greatness no matter what others thought was possible was evident here at Rice, and his accomplishments here are and will always be a source of joy for all Owls. He will always be celebrated, remembered, and missed. Rest in peace, Coach Wayne Graham. My heartfelt condolences to Tanya and the family."
Berkman who was named the NCBWA Player of the Year in 1997, joined Graham in the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. Anthony Rendon, who won the Dick Howser Award in 2010 in his sophomore season under Graham, became the 25th of his players to join him in the Rice Athletics Hall of Fame when he was inducted in 2022.
The success of the program on the field energized a generation of Rice alumni and local baseball fans, and the interest in the program led to the realization that a program of national prominence required a facility of similar stature in 2000, Reckling Park opened its gates and quickly became the model for a new generation of college baseball showcases.
He also introduced the Old English R as the team's primary mark, and thanks to the exposure gained through the success of the Owls on the field, the mark became synonymous with the Rice brand. In 2007, the distinctive 'R" along with the Old English "Owls" work mark was formally adopted as the Owls' branding for the entire athletic department.
Rice's gain of a transformational presence in the dugout came at the expense of other programs in the area who had not deemed his incredible success at San Jacinto Junior College worthy of consideration for their programs.
Graham immediately turned the Gators into a force to be reckoned with. His first squad in 1981 (featuring freshman Roger Clemens) went 43-7 and finished second in the Texas JC ranks. The following two seasons brought 89 more victories (only 22 losses) and a pair of conference titles.
In 1984, he led the Gators to the first of seven consecutive 50-win seasons and the national JC tournament. A loss in the championship game only served to fuel the fires that would lead to three straight national titles in 1985-87. Another runner-up showing in 1988 was followed by two more titles in 1989 and 1990, giving the Gators five championships in six years.
He was named Collegiate Baseball Magazine's Junior College Coach of the Century, as well as the newspaper's Coach of the Decade for the 1980s. He was named the national JC coach of the year five times and the top Texas JC coach six times. His uniform number (37) was retired by San Jacinto, and he was inducted into the junior college hall of fame in May 1995.
Graham was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame at Fort Worth in 2003. In 2004 he was named one of Houston's 38 Sports Legends to coincide with the city hosting Super Bowl XXXVIII. He was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Conference USA Hall of Fame in 2019.
Graham played baseball for two seasons under the legendary Bibb Falk at Texas before embarking on an 11-year professional career as a third baseman and outfielder with the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets organizations.
Despite several strong seasons in the minors -- he hit .300 or better in six of 10 minor league stops, including a .311 average with 17 home runs and 70 runs batted in at Dallas-Fort Worth in 1962 to earn Texas League Player of the Year honors -- Graham had just two brief stints in the major leagues which was comprised with only 20 teams at that time. The first came in 1963 when he appeared in 10 games for Gene Mauch's Philadelphia Phillies. A year later, Graham played 20 games for legendary Hall of Famer Casey Stengel with the New York Mets, and he wore Stengal's #37 in tribute to the legendary manager.
Following his playing days, Graham returned to UT to receive his B.S. in physical education in 1970, and he added a master's of education from the University of Houston in 1973.
Funeral arrangements are pending at this time.
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