Rick Church has led the Buccaneers to 19 Region XIV Conference Tournament appearances and now enters his 23rd season with the program. Blinn College softball has captured conference and regional championships in 2003, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and most recently in 2015 with the program’s seventh trip to the NJCAA National Championships. His team finished second in the nation in 2003, the best finish in program history.

Church holds the most all-time victories at Blinn College with 874 wins. His overall college coaching record stands at 948-434 (.685).

Last season, Blinn finished 20-31 overall but finished 13-11 in Region XIV to earn a berth in the region tournament. In addition, Blinn softball was named a 2021-22 NJCAA Academic Team of the Year after maintaining a team grade point average of 3.46 throughout the academic year. Blinn sophomore infielder Natilee Reed was also named a co-recipient of the 2022 Dr. James H. Atkinson Cup after she maintained the highest cumulative grade point average in the athletic department at 4.0. Following the conclusion of the season, four Buccaneers committed to four-year schools to continue their softball careers: Chandler Talbot (Sam Houston State University), Keely Castillo (University of Texas-Tyler), Acie Prince (Kentucky Christian University), and Kayla Wallace (Tarleton State University).

The Buccaneers posted a 22-19 record during the 2021 season and went 13-5 in Region XIV. Blinn qualified for the Region XIV South Regional and defeated Coastal Bend College in the first round.

Church and assistant coach Jami Ingram were named the 2019 Region XIV Coaching Staff of the Year. The National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) honored Church and assistant coaches Jami Ingram and Jaymie Heibel by naming them the 2015 Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year. The NFCA honored Church and Ingram as the Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year in 2010, 2011, and 2012. Church, Ingram, and assistant Haley Long were named Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year and were named the Region XIV Conference Coaching Staff of the Year. Honors in 2009 included Region XIV Coach of the Year and NFCA Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year.

In 2017, Church was recognized by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association for earning his 800th victory. Church was awarded Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2004, while the 2003 season honors included Speedline/NFCA Coaching Staff of the Year, Midwest Coaching Staff of the Year and Region XIV Coach of the Year. Before arriving at Blinn College, Church served as co-founder, owner, and head instructor for the Can-Am Baseball/Softball Academy in Langley, British Columbia, from 1992-1997. While in Canada, he also was the coach of the White Rock Renegades women’s fast pitch team. The Renegades won back-to-back Canadian championships in 1993 and 1994. His overall record with the Renegades was 179-46 (.790). He had the privilege of training eight current or former Canadian National Team players. He joined the Can-Am Academy Houston operation as a consultant from 1997-1999.

Prior to his Can-Am years, Church served as the head softball coach and professor of physical education at Arizona Western College from 1990-1992. His record at AWC was 74-34. AWC finished as Region I runners-up in 1991 and placed third in 1992. Church served as an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska from 1986-1989. During that time, the Huskers made two College World Series appearances, finishing third and fifth, respectively, in 1987 and 1988.

Church has earned doctoral hours from Texas A&M University, a master’s degree in kinesiology from Sam Houston State University (1984), and his bachelor’s degree from Kearney State College (1982), where he played college baseball as an infielder.

During his coaching tenure he has traveled with teams to Taiwan, Australia, and Holland. In the summer of 2001, his team finished third in an international tournament in Holland. He has also been a speaker, presenter, or clinician at over 200 camps and clinics. In 2006, Church was selected to join the Canadian National Team coaching pool.

In the summer of 2006, he was a coach for the Canada Elite team and was elevated to the National Team staff in December 2006. In the summer of 2007, the Canadian National Team earned a silver medal at the Pan-American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Church is a member of the National Fastpitch Coaches Association. Church also served as Chair for the Division of Health and Kinesiology (Brenham Campus) from 2007-14.

Church receives support and encouragement from his family. His wife, Rocio, is a kindergarten teacher in the Klein ISD. They have two children, Jordi and Demi.