NJCAA Baseball Hall of Famer Wayne Graham passes away
Charlotte, NC: The NJCAA mourns the passing of NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Famer and five-time NJCAA JUCO World Series Champion Wayne Graham, who passed away at 88 on Tuesday.
"The entire NJCAA family mourns the loss of legendary head coach Wayne Graham," stated Dr. Christopher Parker, NJCAA President & CEO. "Coach Graham spent years mentoring and developing not just great baseball players but great men. Coach Graham found great success at San Jacinto College-North and beyond and leaves behind an incredible legacy."
Graham turned San Jacinto (TX) into a powerhouse program during the 1980s. Over that span, the Gators won at least 50 games in seven seasons and five of six NJCAA JUCO World Series Titles. While at San Jac, Graham posted a 675-113 record, won five national coach of the year awards, and many future MLB players, including Andy Pettitte and Roger Clemens.
In 1992, Graham took over the Head Coaching position at Rice University, a program with only seven winning seasons over 78 years. As the head skipper, Graham took the Owls to 23 consecutive tournament appearances, seven College World Series appearances, and won the 2003 College World Series National Championship. This was the first national championship in any sport in Rice's 91-year history. While at Rice, Graham produced 12 first-round draft picks, including future MLB All-Stars Lance Berkman and Anthony Rendon. He also coached Philip Humber, who threw the 21st perfect game in MLB history on April 21, 2012. Three of these first-round picks were drafted within the top 10 of the 2004 MLB Draft.
Graham played third base for the Texas Longhorns, spending two seasons in Austin under fellow College Baseball Hall of Famer Bibb Falk. He was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1957 as an amateur free agent and spent 11 seasons playing professionally.
Graham was inducted into the NJCAA Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1995 and the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2012. He is also a member of the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame, Texas Sports Hall of Fame, and Conference USA Hall of Fame.
