Former OU Coach, Vern Ruhle, Passes

HOUSTON, Texas -- Former University of Oklahoma and Cincinnati Reds pitching coach Vern Ruhle died Saturday night at MD Anderson Hospital in Houston of complications from a donor stem cell transplant for the treatment of multiple myeloma, a cancer of the bone marrow. He was 55.

Ruhle was Oklahoma's pitching coach from 1990-1995 and helped lead the Sooners to the program's second national title in 1994. Ruhle helped develop the careers of former Sooner greats Mark Redman and Russ Ortiz, among others. The Sooners made three College World Series Appearances (1992, 1994 and 1995) under Ruhle, who followed Larry Cochell to Norman from Cal State Fullerton.

"Spending time on the same coaching staff with Vern was a special time for me," said OU head coach Sunny Golloway. "He was not only a renowned pitching coach but also a mentor to young coaches, including myself. He always made everyone feel welcome and I learned many valuable lessons from him at OU.

"I have already received numerous messages from former players and fans about all their memories of Vern. To say that he will be sorely missed would be an understatement."

Ruhle began 2006 as the Reds' pitching coach, but he was diagnosed during a routine physical in February and missed the whole season. He had been assigned to work as the Reds' minor league pitching rehabilitation coordinator for the upcoming season.

Ruhle pitched in the major leagues for Detroit, Houston, Cleveland and the California Angels from 1974-86, going 67-88 with a 3.73 ERA. He was a pitching coach with Houston, Philadelphia and the Mets before joining the Reds organization in 2004.

Ruhle is survived by his wife, Sue, and two children, daughter Rebecca and son Kenny.

A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, February 3, at 12:00 noon at Incarnation Catholic Church (2901 Bee Ridge Road, Sarasota, FL 34239). Services are being handled by Toale Bros. Funeral Home (941/955-4171). There will be a reception immediately following the funeral at The Field Club (1400 Field Road, Sarasota, FL 34231).

A memorial fund has been established in Vern's name to become a permanent endowment to be used to send underprivileged youths to baseball camps. Donations can be mailed to the:

Vern Ruhle Memorial Fund Inc.
c/o Northern Trust Bank
Attn: Jan Lincoln
P.O. Box 4097
Sarasota, FL 34230

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

University of Oklahoma Athletics

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