OlympicTalk · Apr 23, 2019
Ralph Raymond, first U.S. Olympic softball coach, dies at 94
Ralph Raymond, the head coach of the first two U.S. Olympic softball teams that earned gold medals, died Tuesday at age 94, according to USA Softball.
Raymond was already considered the greatest coach in softball history before playing a key role in the sport’s Olympic debut in 1996.
He set USA Softball records with a 332-9 record and .974 winning percentage as head coach, including going 72-1 in winning five world championships from 1974 through 1994. He was inducted into the International Softball Hall of Fame in 1993.
Raymond was then a natural choice to be the first U.S. Olympic softball head coach for the Atlanta Games, where softball was played in nearby Columbus, Ga.