Ritch Price
Biographical details
Alma materWillamette '78
Cal State–Hayward '87
Playing career
1975–1976Linn–Benton CC
1977–1978Willamette
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1978–1981Phoenix (OR)
1982Jasper (TX)
1983–1986Menlo College
1987–1994De Anza College
1995–2002Cal Poly
2003–2022Kansas
Head coaching record
Overall798–786–4 (.504)

Ritch Price is an American baseball coach and former player. He played college baseball at Linn–Benton Community College (1975–1976) and Willamette (1977–1978). He then served as the head baseball coach of the Menlo Oaks (1983–1986), the De Anza Dons (1987–1994), the Cal Poly Mustangs (1995–2002) and the Kansas Jayhawks (2003–2022).[1]

Coaching career

Price took over as head coach at Cal Poly for the 1995 season, which was to be the Mustangs first at the Division I level. In his second season, he led the team to a winning record.[2]

He accepted the head coaching position at Kansas on July 2, 2002,[3] and has led the Jayhawks to two NCAA tournament berths and their first Big 12 Conference baseball tournament title in 2006. Kansas had made only two NCAA appearances prior to Price's arrival.[1] Price announced his retirement on May 22, 2022. [4]

Head coaching record

The table below shows Ritch Price's record as a head coach at the Division I level.[5][6][7]

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Cal Poly Mustangs (Western Athletic Conference) (1995–1996)
1995 Cal Poly 21–29 13–17 5th (West)
1996 Cal Poly 30–23 18–12 3rd (West)
Cal Poly: 31–29
Cal Poly Mustangs (Big West Conference) (1997–2002)
1997 Cal Poly 37–21 15–15 T–3rd (South)
1998 Cal Poly 16–42 7–21 4th (South)
1999 Cal Poly 21–34 9–21 6th
2000 Cal Poly 32–24 18–12 T–3rd
2001 Cal Poly 30–26 8–10 5th
2002 Cal Poly 30–29–1 15–9 3rd
Cal Poly: 217–228–1 72–88
Kansas Jayhawks (Big 12 Conference) (2003–2022)
2003 Kansas 35–28 9–18 8th Big 12 tournament
2004 Kansas 31–31–1 7–19 9th
2005 Kansas 36–28 11–15 7th Big 12 tournament
2006 Kansas 43–25 13–14 5th NCAA Regional
2007 Kansas 28–30 9–17 9th
2008 Kansas 30–27 9–18 9th
2009 Kansas 39–24 15–12 4th NCAA Regional
2010 Kansas 31–27–1 11–15–1 7th Big 12 tournament
2011 Kansas 26–30 9–18 10th
2012 Kansas 24–34 7–16 7th Big 12 tournament
2013 Kansas 34–25 12–12 T–6th Big 12 tournament
2014 Kansas 35–26 15–9 3rd NCAA Regional
2015 Kansas 23–32 8–15 9th
2016 Kansas 20–35–1 6–17 9th
2017 Kansas 30–28 11–13 7th Big 12 tournament
2018 Kansas 27–30 8–15 8th Big 12 tournament
2019 Kansas 32–26 12–12 5th Big 12 tournament
2020 Kansas 7–10 0–0 Season canceled due to COVID-19
2021 Kansas 30–27 8–16 9th Big 12 tournament
2022 Kansas 20–35 4–20 9th
Kansas: 581–558–3 (.510) 184–291–1 (.388)
Total: 798–786–4 (.504)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

Personal

Ritch Price graduated from Sweet Home High School in Sweet Home, Oregon before attending Willamette University. [8] He has three sons, all of whom have played for him at Kansas. His eldest, Ritchie Price, was head coach at South Dakota State from 2008 to 2011, before returning to Kansas to again work on his father's staff.[9] Baseball America believes that the Prices were the first father–son duo to serve as head coach of two Division I programs at the same time.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b "Ritch Price". kuathletics.com. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Jim Shonerd (February 11, 2010). "Prices have unique coaching bond". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  3. ^ Gary Bedore (July 2, 2002). "College Baseball: Price right for KU". www2.ljworld.com. Lawrence Journal-World. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
  4. ^ Gary Bedore (May 22, 2022). "Kansas Jayhawks baseball coach Ritch Price announces retirement after 20 seasons". www.kansas.com. Wichita Eagle. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  5. ^ 2012 Cal Poly Baseball Media Guide. gopoly.com. p. 58. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  6. ^ 2009 Kansas Jayhawks Baseball Media Guide (PDF). Kansas Jayhawks. p. 112. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
  7. ^ "2013 Big 12 Conference Baseball Standings". D1Baseball.com. Jeremy Mills. Archived from the original on May 26, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  8. ^ Gary Bedore (May 22, 2022). "Kansas Jayhawks baseball coach Ritch Price announces retirement after 20 seasons". www.kansas.com. Wichita Eagle. Retrieved May 23, 2022.
  9. ^ "Ritchie Price to rejoin KU baseball team". kusports.com. July 1, 2011. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
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