Tulane to retire former head baseball coach Rick Jones’ jersey No. 10

Former Green Wave skipper directed Tulane to a pair of College World Series appearances

NEW ORLEANS – Tulane University Athletics announced today that the department will officially retire former Green Wave baseball head coach Rick Jones’ No. 10 jersey.

The jersey retirement ceremony will be the highlight of Rick Jones Weekend during the Green Wave’s three-game series with Cincinnati on May 1-3. The retirement ceremony will be held prior to Tulane’s matchup with the Bearcats on Saturday, May 2 inside Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

“Rick’s legacy at Tulane is so much more than just the high end competitive achievement he enjoyed as head baseball coach,” Director of Athletics Troy Dannen said. “He was an outstanding leader of the men in his program and those men today still revere him as they have gone on to success in their own lives. He led the program through Hurricane Katrina, which came just following his second College World Series appearance. His leadership helped get a new stadium built and allowed us to carry forward the tradition of success when other traditions were stopped in their tracks.”

Jones, who is also a member of the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and the Tulane Athletics Hall of Fame, was the head coach at Tulane for 21 seasons (1994-2014), leading the Green Wave baseball program to 12 NCAA appearances, three NCAA Super Regional appearances and to the College World Series twice.

Tulane baseball letterwinners, who are interested in learning more about Rick Jones Weekend should contact the Green Wave Club at (504) 314-7917 for more information on the official postgame reception and hotel availability. Ticket for the entire weekend series can be purchased by visiting TulaneTix.com or by calling (504) 861-WAVE (9283).

“Retiring a jersey is essentially the Hall of Fame for Hall of Famers,” Dannen said. “Tulane University is honored to recognize Rick’s legacy by retiring the number 10. I encourage everyone touched by Rick and Green Wave baseball to return to campus and help us celebrate this very special honor.”

Rick Jones weekend also will include recognition of Green Wave legends Cary D. Livingston (1969-72), Milt Retif (1952-55 and 1967-74), Joe Brockhoff (1979-93) and Devon Walker (2009-12, football) all of whom have their numbers retired inside Greer Field at Turchin Stadium.

“When I think about Tulane Baseball, my mind goes directly to Coach Jones!,” Tulane baseball head coach Travis Jewett said. “What he was able to create and accomplish here at Tulane is nothing short of amazing. His passion for Tulane baseball is very much still present and he has been so welcoming and helpful in many ways. To see the glow in the eyes and the love in the voice of the Alumni when they speak of “Dimer”, tells you everything you need to know about what kind of not just special coach, but the special person he is. Coach Jones, thank you for your dedication to Tulane baseball. It is with privilege and honor that we will forever see your number 10 hanging at GFATS! Our staff and team are excited to share in your weekend celebration.”

Jones became one of the most decorated collegiate baseball coaches in the sport as well as the winningest coach in Tulane history. In 21 years at Tulane, Jones compiled a record of 818-445-2. For his career, Jones boasted an overall head-coaching record of 1,094-538-3., after making head-coaching stops at Ferrum (1982-84) and Elon (1985-89).

“I’m truly honored to have my number retired alongside Coach (Milt) Retif and Coach (Joe) Brockhoff, as well as Cary (Livingston), who was such a major supporter of our program during the entire time I was at Tulane,” Jones said. “Coach Brockhoff built a program that was so revered that it made it easy for me to continue what he was doing when I took over. Coach Retif helped me in so many ways, and he became such a close friend. To be recognized alongside those guys is a big-time honor. But what this really means is that I had so many great players and assistant coaches over the years, and this is really a testament to them. You don’t accomplish all of this by yourself. This is something I think we will all share.”

A staple of Tulane athletics, Jones’ resume is filled with accomplishments during his time on the Uptown campus. In 2005, he was named the National Coach of the Year by Baseball America after leading the Green Wave to a 56-12 season that culminated with the program’s second appearance in the College World Series, arguably the best season ever by a Green Wave baseball squad.

He was named the Conference USA Coach of the Year on three different occasions (1997, 2001, and 2005) while also being named the Coach of the Decade in 2005, and he owns more wins in the league than any other head coach. Ten of his Tulane teams posted 40 or more victories, and his squads averaged 40 wins a season during his 20 full years at the helm of the program.

In the New Orleans community, Jones’ teams have spent countless hours giving back through visits to local hospitals, community service work and through fundraisers.

Many of Jones’ players had tremendous success during his tenure as head coach, as 61 Green Wave players earned all-conference honors from C-USA and the Metro Conference on 89 different occasions, including 54 first-team selections. Twenty-eight claimed all-freshman honors during Jones’ tenure at Tulane.

Nationally, 22 of Jones’ players received All-American recognition – including at least one every season from 1996-2006. Seventeen of his players have been named Freshman All-Americans, and five have gone on to play for the USA Baseball National Team.

Professionally, Major League Baseball teams spent 54 draft picks on Tulane players under Jones’ watch, including five first-round selections. A total of 76 of Jones’ players have signed professional contracts.

Off the field, Tulane baseball produced unprecedented success in the classroom, as over 200 of his players earned C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll recognition since 1996. Six of those players earned Academic All-American status.

Every player who played four years for Jones completed their degree, and several have gone on to prominent roles in their post-graduate life. While baseball has been the career choice of some, the list of former Jones players include Major Leaguers, Major League general managers, radiologists, lawyers, state representatives, accountants and health care workers.

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