Rick Jones Collects Coach of the Year Honors
Aug 22, 2001 | Baseball
Aug. 22, 2001
NEW ORLEANS, La. - Tulane University baseball coach Rick Jones has been named the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA)/Diamond Sports Company Division I South Region Coach of the Year after guiding the Green Wave to its most successful season in history.
The ABCA names Coaches of the Year in eight regions each year. Jones collected the honor after leading Tulane to a 56-13 record and its first-ever trip to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. After winning the Conference USA Championship, the Green Wave won the New Orleans Regional at Turchin Stadium. That was followed by a thrilling three-game series victory over defending national champion LSU in the Super Regional at Zephyr Field.
Named the Conference USA Coach of the Year as well in 2001, Jones is Tulane's second winningest coach all time, and has taken the Wave to six NCAA postseason tournaments. The 2001 C-USA regular-season title was the sixth for the Wave under Jones and Tulane also received its highest ranking under Jones, No. 5 according to Baseball America. Tulane was 14-1 versus its instate opponents and recorded more than 40 wins for the sixth time.
Jones has coached 26 All-Conference USA players, 27 players who signed professional contracts, 10 All-Americans, five C-USA Players of the Year and a pair of national Freshmen of the Year, including Michael Aubrey this year.
