Former Rice University baseball coach Wayne Graham passed away Tuesday. He was 88 years old.
During his 27 years at Rice, Graham was regarded as one of the most prolific coaches in college baseball, earning him an induction into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012.
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Got the sad news last night. They just don’t make baseball lifers quite like this anymore. Like many of those who played for guys like Bertman, Gustafson, etc., I’m proud to say that I played for Wayne Graham and will be forever grateful for the scholarship he gave me. https://t.co/rv2tJZqAFP
— Phillip Ghutzman (@phillipghutzman) September 4, 2024
Before his tenure with the Owls, he played college baseball at the University of Texas and coached high school baseball in the Houston area. After nine years at the helm at Scarborough High School and one year at Spring Branch High School, he moved up to the junior college ranks.
He coached at San Jacinto Junior College in Houston from 1981 to 1991, winning five JUCO World Series titles over that span. In 1992, Graham was hired by Rice.
After failing to advance past the NCAA Regionals during his first five seasons, Graham made his first College World Series appearance in 1997. From that point on, the Owls became a regular at the top of their conference’s standings and appeared in the CWS seven times—including three consecutive appearances between 2006 and 2008. In 2003, the Owls took home the CWS championship, their only title in program history to date.
Graham finished his tenure at Rice after the 2018 season. He left the program with a 1,173-528-2 all-time record.