Wayne Graham, Legendary Rice Coach, Dies At 88

Image credit: (Photo by Brian Westerholt)

Wayne Graham, the winningest coach in Rice history—and the only coach to lead the program to a national championship—has died. He was 88.

Graham was the head coach of the Owls from 1992 to 2018, a legendary tenure that included 23 NCAA tournament appearances, 11 super regional berths, seven trips to Omaha and one national championship. Prior to Graham taking the reins, the Owls had made a regional just twice. He accumulated an all-time record of 1,173-528-2, and his near-1,200 wins are comfortably the most in Rice history.

Prior to his time at Rice, he was responsible for turning San Jacinto Junior College into a national powerhouse. His first team in 1981 included Roger Clemens, and starting in 1984 he led the Gators to seven-straight 50-win seasons. Graham’s Gators won five national championships during that stretch, including a three-peat between 1985 and 1987.

Baseball America named Graham its Junior College Coach of the Century, and also National Coach of the Year in 1999. He produced countless draft picks, including 19 first-rounders at Rice. Of the 19, Matt Anderson was selected first overall in 1997. In 2004, the trio of Philip Humber, Jeff Niemann and Wade Townsend were all drafted inside the first 10 picks.

Perhaps most notably, Graham coached eventual first-round pick and six-time MLB all-star Lance Berkman. Berkman’s 1997 season remains one of the best in college history, as he hit .431/.538/1.031 with 22 doubles, 41 home runs and a whopping 134 RBIs.

Rice Athletics Director Tommy McLelland said, “What Coach Graham accomplished during his time at Rice is truly remarkable… 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.”