A career not to be understated.
After 16 seasons, former Texas A&M baseball coach Rob Childress’s contract has not been renewed. Although he will not be returning to Blue Bell Park, Childress has left a lasting impact and legacy on the A&M baseball program. During his tenure, the Gilmer native had an extensive resume of memorable achievements.
Here are some of his top moments as an Aggie, ranked:
8. Marrying into the Aggie family
On June 22, 2005 Childress was named the head baseball coach at A&M. However, he was certainly not new to the Aggie family. Childress married Amanda Childress, Class of 1992, and started a family while the two still lived in Nebraska. Later he was officially announced as the head coach of the Aggies, taking over for former coach Mark Johnson. Through Rob’s career in coaching, he was able to bring Amanda home to Aggieland. Although early in his tenure, the day he became A&M’s coach was one of the best moments of his career. With this, Amanda was no longer the only Aggie in the family.
7. 2017 College World Series appearance
In 2017, the Aggies owned a 41-23 record. After cruising through the NCAA Regionals against Baylor, Iowa and then-No. 15 Houston, the Aggies swept Davidson in the NCAA Super Regional to book their ticket to the College World Series. Despite losing their first two games in Omaha, this was Childress’s second appearance with the Aggies. With only eight college teams appearing in the prestigious final round, notching two appearances makes Childress a rarity in the world of college baseball.
6. Embodying the Aggie Spirit through Selfless Service
For the past nine years, A&M baseball has hosted the Aggie Lead Off event. Founded during Childress’s tenure, the fundraiser has raised over $120,000 for the Vs. Cancer Foundation. Aggie Lead Off is a charity event open to the public with ticket purchases. With a ticket, attendees receive lunch, a tour of Blue Bell Park by the Diamond Darlings, a pregame yell practice with the Aggie Yell Leaders, an intra-squad scrimmage and a special presentation by Childress and the team. Normally, all players on the roster shave their heads in support of cancer victims. In 2020, Childress himself joined in and shaved his head with the rest of the team. This was the last time the event was held in full due to inclement weather and COVID-19 issues in 2021.
5. Sawing the Horns
On Tuesday, March 30 of 2021, Texas A&M went into its annual game against the then-No. 8 University of Texas with a series tie of 4-4 since joining the SEC. Under Childress’s coaching, the Aggies took the lead in the series with a thrilling 2-0 shutout over the Longhorns. Sophomore outfielder Logan Britt and graduate catcher Mikey Hoehner each blasted home runs over the outfield wall to clinch the victory. With this victory, Childress concluded his run against Texas as an Aggie on top.
4. The Quinquagenarian season
For the first time under Childress’s direction, the Aggies recorded 50 wins in one season in 2015. The maroon and white had not accomplished this feat since 1993 under Johnson when the team advanced to the College World Series. The last game of the season was a rubber match loss against TCU in the NCAA Super Regional. This has been Childress’s first and only 50-win season of his career in collegiate coaching with the Aggies. For Childress, these 50 wins set a standard of excellence for the program to follow even after his departure.
3. Mentoring on the mound
Pitcher Asa Lacy was drafted by the Cleveland Indians straight out of high school in 2017. However, he turned down the offer in favor of an opportunity to play on Childress’s squad. As a result of Childress’s mentoring, Lacy became A&M’s highest ever draft pick when chosen fourth overall by the Kansas City Royals in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. With the Aggies, Lacy faced 283 batters with a total of 116 strikeouts. Childress has seen Lacy and 72 other Aggies sign with MLB teams.
2. West Virginia walk-off
Down three runs with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, all seemed to be lost for the Aggies in the 2019 NCAA Regional. Then-No. 15 West Virginia, thinking its victory was secured, didn’t account for the swinging power of third baseman Bryce Blaum and gave up a walk-off grand slam for the Aggies to come out on top 11-10. The Aggies stormed the field to celebrate what was one of Childress’s most electric game achievements in his career.
1. 2011
2011 was a big year for Childress. In fact, ‘big year’ could be considered an understatement. With a dominant 47-22 final record, the Aggies secured the Big 12 Regular Season Championship with a tie and went on to win the Big 12 Tournament. Following the tournament victory, A&M advanced to the College World Series for the first time since 1999. This was the first College World Series appearance under Childress’s guidance. To reward him for the outstanding season and excellence in coaching, Childress received the accolade of Big 12 Coach of the Year.
“Coach Childress is a great man and we appreciate his long-term dedication to Texas A&M and for leading our baseball program with class and dignity in every phase,” Texas A&M Athletic Director Ross Bjork said. “Coach Childress deserves our respect and admiration for how he represented our program.”