Report: Rice fires head coach Jose Cruz Jr. after 2-14 start

According to Kendall Rogers of D1 Baseball, Rice has fired head coach Jose Cruz Jr. This season has not gone well for the Owls, losing 14 of their first 16 games. Administration felt like a change was needed, making the midseason move.

“BREAKING: @RiceBaseball is parting ways with head coach Jose Cruz Jr. after 3 1/2 seasons with the program, @D1Baseball has learned,” Rogers said via X. “Cruz, one of the all-time greats in #Rice history, is out with the Owls currently having a 2-14 overall record this season.”

Rice currently possesses a 10-game losing streak, last winning in the finale when USC came to Houston for a weekend series. A midweek game against Sam Houston State is the only other victory on the schedule as the Owls have really struggled.

Not much about the previous three seasons stands out either. Cruz’s best record during his time as head coach was in 2024 when the program joined the American but was still 13 games under .500. Making the NCAA Tournament was never really a possibility for a team that once went on a two-decade plus run of being in the field.

Moving forward, Rogers added to his report on who would be the interim head coach. Parker Bangs, who currently serves as the pitching coach, will take over for the rest of the 2025 season. But the search to find somebody knew will soon be underway for Rice.

One more nonconference weekend series falls on the schedule, playing Houston Christian beginning on Friday. Florida Atlantic will be Rice’s first American series of the season, heading to Boca Raton.

Jose Cruz Jr. out as head coach after playing days with Rice

When Rice was in search of somebody new to lead the program, they turned to a former player with a ton of accolades. Cruz played for Rice over three seasons before being drafted in the first round of the 1995 NBA Draft by the Seattle Mariners.

An eleven-year Big League career spanned across nine teams, ending with the hometown Houston Astros during the 2008 season. A career WAR of 19.6 saw Cruz surpass 200 home runs and finish with 624 RBIs.

Coaching became an option when the Detroit Tigers offered an assistant role in 2021. Another Houston connection was there as AJ Hinch had taken over as manager after his previous stint with the Astros. A year later, Rice came calling.