John Rittman is an American collegiate softball coach for the Clemson Tigers since 2017. Prior to then, he held the positions of head coach at Stanford and assistant coach for USA Softball, Kansas, Washington, Minnesota, and Oregon. John has been actively providing quality guidance to college players for more than two decades now.
Early Life
John Rittman was born on October 5, 1963. His father is a retired colonel, his mother is a stay-at-home mother, and he has four brothers. Rittman, an outfielder, began his collegiate baseball career at Yavapai College before transferring to New Mexico State University, where he played for three seasons between 1983 and 1985.
As a junior in 1984, Rittman batted.338 with 50 hits, 27 RBI, and one home run in 51 games. Rittman earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from New Mexico State University in 1986. After transferring from Yavapai Junior College in Prescott, Arizona, he played outfield for the New Mexico State University baseball team for three years.
John Rittman Career
John Rittman worked as an assistant softball coach at Oregon from 1988 to 1990, Minnesota from 1991 to 1992, and Washington from 1993 to 1996, during which time Oregon progressed to the 1989 Women’s College World Series and Minnesota won the Big Ten Conference in 1992.
Rittman, who joined the first Washington coaching staff in 1993, assisted Washington in winning the Pac-10 championship in 1996 and making it to the Women’s College World Series final. John was appointed head coach of Stanford’s program in July 1996; the 1994 season saw the program’s varsity status change.
Rittman served as head coach for 16 consecutive NCAA Division I Softball Championship appearances from 1998 to 2013 (a combined record of 750-351-3), one Pac-10 championship in 2005, five Super Regional trips, and two visits in the Women’s College World Series in 2001 and 2004.
Mendoza and Ramona Shelburne, a second Stanford player under Rittman, later worked as ESPN broadcasters. Allister played two seasons in the National Pro Fastpitch League before returning to Stanford as an assistant coach under Rittman from 2007 to 2009 before taking over as head coach in 2018.
Rittman left Stanford on June 2, 2014, after the Cardinal ended 5-19 in Pac-12 Conference games that year. His resignation was met with controversy and revelations of a significant NCAA rule breach. He then served two seasons as an associate head coach at Kansas in 2015 and 2017, as well as two stints as an assistant with USA Softball.
Rittman was appointed as Clemson’s inaugural head coach on November 3, 2017, and the team played its first match in the 2020 season, but it was canceled due to COVID-19. Just within the third year of his appointment, he proved his mettle as he led the Tigers in Super Regionals.
John Rittman Biography |
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| Real Name | John Richard Rittman |
| Birth Date | 5 October 1963 |
| Age (as of 2023) | 59 Years |
| Birth Place | United States |
| Profession | Softball Coach |
| College | New Mexico State University |
| Qualification | Graduate |
Physical Statistics |
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| Height | in feet inches – 5’ 8” – in Centimeters – 172 cm |
| Weight | in Kilograms – 82 kg – in Pounds – 180 lbs |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Brown |
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Family |
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| Father | – |
| Mother | – |
| Sister | – |
| Brother | – |
Relationship Status |
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| Marital Status | Married |
| Who is his wife? | Lorie Rittman |
| Children | Two |
Personal Life
Rittman is married to his wife Lorie, a former softball player at the University of Oklahoma, they have two sons, Justin, a UCLA graduate and former Bruins fullback, and Jake, a Notre Dame graduate and former Fighting Irish punter.
John Rittman Contract/Net Worth
The athletic department of Clemson University signed John for five years contract extension in 2022. As per the norms, John will be heading the team till the 2027 season, however, there are no details disclosed about his annual salary or allowances. Based on his decades-long coaching career and vast experience, he must have accumulated a good amount of wealth.