Grand Canyon University Athletics
Dr. Jim Rice
Stafford, Rice to be Inducted into GCU Athletics Hall of Fame Tomorrow
2/17/2011 11:29:12 AM | General
Gil Stafford, who led the Grand Canyon University baseball program to NAIA national championships in 1981, 1982 and 1986 and has the most wins of any head coach in program history, and Dr. Jim Rice, a former GCU basketball player who averaged a double-double in scoring and rebounding in his junior and senior seasons and ranks third on the school’s career rebounding list, will be inducted into the GCU Athletics Hall of Fame tomorrow evening.
A Homecoming dinner will be held on the Mariposa Lawn across from Antelope Gymnasium at 5 p.m., and induction ceremonies will follow at 6 p.m. in the north gym.
When Stafford became the head baseball coach at Grand Canyon College, he wasn’t much older than some of his players. At age 26, Stafford became only the second baseball coach in GCU history and had a tough act to follow as Canyon was coming off of an NAIA National Championship season in 1980. All Stafford did was direct his team to a repeat NAIA title in 1981 and then win another championship in 1982.
In 20 seasons as head coach, Stafford’s teams had an overall record of 760-531-1. His first 10 years were in the NAIA and Grand Canyon averaged just a fraction under 50 wins per season, winning seven district championships, six area championships and four national championships.
In 1991, Stafford led Grand Canyon University and his baseball program into the NCAA. Grand Canyon was the first baseball program in history to jump directly from the NAIA to NCAA Division I status. During its time in Division I, GCU was able to enhance the reputation of not only the baseball program, but also of the institution.
As GCU left Division I in 1998, Stafford directed the team to a Western Athletic Conference North Division regular-season title and a postseason berth in the WAC Championships. In his final two years, the ‘Lopes competed at the NCAA Division II level and went 73-40, winning a regular season conference title in the CCAA and also making an NCAA postseason appearance at the Division II West Region Championships in 2000.
But Dr. Stafford left more than a baseball legacy at Grand Canyon. During his tenure at GCU, all while coaching the baseball team, he also served as Dean of Students, Director of Athletics and Executive Vice President. In addition, he became the first person ever to serve as President of an NCAA member institution while concurrently serving as a head coach at the school. Stafford became GCU’s President in January 2000 and finished his duties as head coach during the 2001 season.
Rice played his high school and collegiate basketball within about a mile of each other, having prepped at Phoenix Alhambra High School before attending Grand Canyon College. For Rice and the Antelopes, it was a time of development. Grand Canyon was entering the initial years of NAIA membership and Rice patrolled the lanes of Antelope Gymnasium as one of the top rebounders in GCU’s storied basketball history.
Rice co-captained the Antelope team for GCU Hall of Fame Head Coach Ben Lindsey in his junior and senior seasons, when he led the ‘Lopes in rebounding. Over his final two seasons, Rice averaged a double-double in scoring (12.8 per game) and rebounding (11.0 per game). Today, nearly 40 years after playing his final game for Grand Canyon, he still ranks third all time in total rebounds.
Now, Dr. Jim Rice is an accomplished GCU alumnus, having enjoyed nearly 40 years of service to the Alhambra Elementary School District, the same district where he graduated from the eighth grade. GCU honored Dr. Rice as its distinguished “Alumnus of the Year” in 2007. He received his Bachelor of Science degree at Grand Canyon College in 1971 and then master’s and doctoral degrees from Arizona State University.
Dr. Rice has been recognized for his exceptional leadership, including being named Arizona’s Distinguished Administrator in 2002; received the Willis J. Ray Volunteer Award from Grand Canyon University in 2003; received an Award of Excellence for Contributions to Public Education from the Arizona School Public Relations Association in 2004, was inducted into the ASU College of Education Hall of Fame in October 2005, received the ASA Administrator of the Year – Superintendent Division in 2006, and was named Arizona’s Superintendent of the Year in December 2006.
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