In a career that has spanned four decades, Sam Riggleman became one of the most successful coaches in history. Riggleman, who retired from Spring Arbor University (Mich.) following the 2016 season, ranked 17th all-time in career wins among NAIA coaches through the 2019 season and became just the 19th NAIA head coach to reach 1,000 wins in 2015.
After a two-year hiatus from coaching, Riggleman joined the coaching staff at Grand Valley State University (Mich.) in 2018. The 2021 season will mark Riggleman’s third as an assistant coach for the Lakers.
After taking over the Spring Arbor program in 2005, Riggleman guided his alma mater to a 377-212 (.640) record with three regular season conference championships, two conference tournament titles and five NAIA National Tournament appearances. Riggleman's squad was runner-up in the 2007 NAIA World Series. That season, Spring Arbor went 48-5, had a 36-game winning streak and Riggleman was honored as the NAIA Baseball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year for the second time.
The 2007 season began a historic three-year run for the Cougars' program as Riggleman directed the team to three consecutive NAIA national tournament appearances including back-to-back NAIA World Series appearances.
The long-time mentor amassed a 1,023-661-2 (.607) career record over 40 seasons. Prior to his tenure at Spring Arbor, Riggleman served three seasons as the skipper at Dallas Baptist University (Texas) where he led the Patriots to two appearances in the NAIA World Series, highlighted by a runner-up finish in 2000. He earned his first NAIA Baseball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year award that season.
Riggleman spent five seasons at Bethel College (Ind.) prior to Dallas Baptist. While at Bethel, Riggleman's squad made the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) national tournament multiple times. He also had a seven-year stint at Southern Illinois University from 1988-94, which included an NCAA Tournament appearance. Riggleman started as the pitching coach at Southern Illinois before taking over the role of head coach for his final four years.
After getting his start in coaching at John Wesley College (N.C.), Riggleman spent nine seasons as the head coach at Mount Vernon Nazarene University (Ohio).
Riggleman's resume also includes coaching the U.S. National Team that traveled to Cuba in 1991 and serving as the head coach for a 2001 NAIA All-Star team that traveled to the Czech Republic. Riggleman has also coached several future Major Leaguers, including former No. 1 overall pick Tim Belcher.
Widely recognized for his leadership characteristics on and off the field, Riggleman is a member of the Spring Arbor University Athletics Hall of Fame, the NCCAA Hall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame.
He is also recognized as developing the Montana Leadership Institute at Spring Arbor University, an annual one-week retreat that focuses on athletic and spiritual leadership development in SAU student-athletes.
With his induction into the ABCA Hall of Fame, Riggleman joins longtime Spring Arbor skipper and former mentor, Hank Burbridge, who was a 2003 inductee in the ABCA Hall of Fame. Riggleman was also the recipient of the ABCA Dave Keilitz Ethics in Coaching Award at the 2011 ABCA Convention in Nashville.
