Wayne Graham, the legendary Rice University baseball coach, passed away Tuesday night in Austin at age 88.
Jose Cruz Jr. expressed his sorrow, saying, “I am deeply sorry to hear about the passing of a man who had a significant impact on my life. 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.”
Graham’s tenure at Rice began in 1992 and lasted until 2018. Before he arrived, the program had only seven winning seasons in 78 years! Under his leadership, the team achieved a record of 1,173-528-2, secured their first postseason berth in 1995 , reached the College World Series seven times, and won the National Championship in 2003.
Impact on Players:
Many players coached by Graham made it to Major League Baseball (MLB), including Lance Berkman and Anthony Rendon. During his time at Rice, fourteen players were first-round picks; notable ones include Matt Anderson (No. 1 overall pick in 1997) and three top-eight picks from 2004: Philip Humber (No. 3), Jeff Niemann (No.4), and Wade Townsend (No.8).
Before joining Rice University, Graham transformed San Jacinto College into a junior college powerhouse with an impressive record of 675-118 from 1981-91. They won multiple NJCAA World Series titles under his guidance: ’85,’86,’87,’89,’90! Notable MLB stars like Roger Clemens also played under him during this period.
Fans might think it’s incredible how many lives he touched through baseball.
Roger Clemens tweeted: “Coach Wayne Graham was one of the Best of the Best! A baseball lifer! Great Coach but far better teacher of the game! Gave us young men life lessons to carry with us forever… A Winner!”
Coach Wayne Graham was one of the Best of the Best!
A baseball lifer! Great Coach, but far better teacher of the game! Gave us young men life lessons to carry with us forever.
I will miss Coach, and his funny stories we had together over the years.
A Winner!
Thanks for…
— Roger Clemens (@rogerclemens)
Graham’s career started as a player for Philadelphia Phillies and New York Mets systems from ’57-’67 mainly playing third base; he appeared briefly with both teams during ’63-’64 totaling thirty games.
In recognition of his contributions to college baseball—he got inducted into College Baseball Hall Of Fame back in ’12—and earned numerous accolades such as conference Coach Of The Year ten times while at Rice plus Junior College Coach Of The Century title for achievements at San Jacinto!
What do you think about Wayne Graham’s legacy?
