John Rittman Joins Gator Softball Staff
Monday, June 29, 2015 | Softball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Head softball coach Tim Walton announced the addition of John Rittman as the Gators new assistant coach on Tuesday. Rittman joins Florida softball after one season as the associate head coach at Kansas, and 18 seasons as the head coach at Stanford.
In addition, Rittman spent eight years on the United States National Team coaching staff (2001-08).
The Gators went 60-7 in 2015, taking the Southeastern Conference title as well as their second-straight NCAA crown. UF reached the 60-win plateau for just the third time in school history and posted its third-highest win percentage (.895).
In 2015, the Gators ranked first nationally in winning percentage, tied for first in wins, first in fielding percentage (.981), fourth in ERA (1.63), 11th in on-base percentage (.438), 22nd in scoring (6.55 runs per game), 29th in slugging percentage (.514) and 32nd in home runs per game (1.19). Defensively, Florida's .981 fielding percentage was the best mark in school history, eclipsing the .979 mark set in 2013. The Gators committed just 33 errors in 67 games, seven fewer than any previous UF squad.
What They Said…
“John Rittman is one of the most well-respected coaches in our game and this is a great, great opportunity to have him join our staff and work with our program. John will come in and make an immediate impact working with our staff and all of our student-athletes. He has been a mentor of mine in the softball coaching world and he's just a great person. He will be crucial in helping us continue the Florida softball tradition.” – Florida Head Coach Tim Walton
"I am extremely excited for this incredible opportunity to join the University of Florida softball program. I look forward to working with Tim Walton and contributing to the continued success of our student-athletes on the field, in the classroom and in the community. Tim is a true leader and an outstanding coach, and my family and I look forward to being part of the University of Florida community.” – Florida Assistant Coach John Rittman
With USA Softball
In the summer of 2008, Rittman made his second coaching appearance in the Olympic Games, and was an integral part of the staff that led Team USA to a silver medal in Beijing, China. The squad won its first eight games of the tournament, most by considerable margins, and outscored opponents 58-5 over the nine games. Two of Rittman's former pupils, outfielder Jessica Mendoza and utility player Lauren Lappin, were part of the medal-winning team and carried two of the team's top three batting averages on the 40-city Bound 4 Beijing Tour leading up to the Games.
Rittman coached the 2007 USA team that won its second-consecutive title at the World Cup of Softball in Oklahoma City and its eighth title at the Pan Am Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Lappin and Mendoza were both key players on that squad. In 2006, he helped Team USA to its eighth-consecutive World Championship in Beijing, a World Cup of Softball title and a gold medal at the Japan Cup in Yokohama.
In 2004, Rittman made his first appearance as an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Team, guiding former Stanford player Mendoza and the rest of the team to a gold medal in Athens, Greece.
Team USA won gold medals at the Pan Am Games and the U.S. Cup in 2003. In addition, Rittman coached for the teams that won the 2002 U.S. Cup, the 2002 Canada Cup, the 2002 Japan Cup and the 2002 World Championship. In 2001, he coached the USA Red Team that won the gold medal at the U.S. Cup and competed in the Canada Cup and the USA Softball Shootout.
As a Head Coach
While at Stanford (1997-2014), the Cardinal recorded 16-consecutive winning seasons, made 15-straight NCAA appearances, notched 13 40-win seasons and produced at least one All-American in 15 of his last 16 years there. Overall, Rittman accumulated a 711-338-3 mark, coached a national player of the year, 16 All-Americans and maintained a spot in every regular-season National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) poll for more than a decade.
As an Assistant Coach
During Rittman's lone season in Lawrence, Kansas (2015), he helped KU softball make its second-straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.
After opening the season with a 12-1 record, the Jayhawks finished their non-conference slate with a 32-5 mark and concluded the season with a 40-15 (.727) record overall, which marked the best winning percentage by a KU squad since 1992 when Kansas ended 45-10 (.818).
Prior to being named head coach at Stanford, Rittman spent four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Washington (1993-96). With the Huskies, he was responsible for teaching the fundamentals of hitting as well as defensive play. Rittman helped start the program and, within just four seasons, the Huskies had earned a No. 1 national ranking, won the 1996 Pac-10 Championship, made three NCAA Tournament appearances and notched a runner-up finish in their first trip to the Women's College World Series. Washington became the first team since Texas A&M (1983) to advance to the championship game in its first appearance at the WCWS.
Before his appointment at Washington, Rittman spent two seasons as an assistant at Minnesota (1991-92). During his second year, the Golden Gophers won the Big Ten Conference with a 20-4 league record. The team batting average jumped from .235 to .269 and the Gophers set team and individual records in almost every offensive category. The Minnesota squad led the nation in hits and total bases en route to a No. 15 national ranking. Rittman also helped produce two Golden Gopher All-Americans.
From 1988-90, Rittman was an assistant coach at Oregon. During his stay, the Ducks played in the 1989 Women's College World Series, set several team and individual offensive records and produced one All-American.
Background
Rittman graduated from New Mexico State with a degree in journalism in 1986. He was a three-year letterwinner in baseball as an outfielder at NMSU after transferring from Yavapai Junior College in Prescott, Arizona. Rittman and his wife Lorie, a former softball player at Oklahoma, are the parents of Justin and Jake.
