Shawn Rychcik - Head Coach - Softball Coaches - NC State University Athletics

Shawn Rychcik

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
sfrychci@ncsu.edu
Phone:
(919) 513-7595

Just six years into his tenure as head coach of the NC State softball program, Shawn Rychcik has taken the program to unprecedented territories. When he took over in July 2012, the goal was to establish the Wolfpack into an ACC and National Championship contender and he has done just that.

In 2015, he guided NC State to its first-ever appearance in an NCAA Super Regional. The Wolfpack cruised through the NCAA Harrisonburg (Va.) Regional with a perfect 3-0 record, defeating Fordham, 2-1, in the regional championship game.

NC State became the first division I softball program from the state of North Carolina to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals. Behind a pair of All-Southeast Region selections, shortstop Renada Davis and pitcher Emily Weiman, the Wolfpack finished the season ranked No. 19 in both the NFCA and USA Softball/ESPN.com polls – the first top-25 finish in program history.

The Pack earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament in each of Rychcik's first three seasons at the helm – the first time in school history that NC State had been in three consecutive years.

In 2017 he guided Jade Caraway, Tyler Ross and Peyton Silverman to All-ACC Teams, as Ross was named to the All-ACC First Team, Caraway was named to the second team while she and Silverman garnered All-ACC Freshman Team honors. He also helped Ross to claim All-Southeast Second Team honors, marking the second time in as many years she tabbed the mention. Additionally he coached his squad to 10 conference wins, earning a spot in the ACC Championship where the team advanced to the semifinals.

Rychcik helped Ross break the program record for runs scored (55) and stolen bases (27) in a single season in 2016. He also reached the 400-win plateau last season in the Wolfpack's 5-4 victory at Syracuse.

The 2015 squad broke school records for most runs scored (320), most runs batted in (293), most walks (227), highest on-base percentage (.367) and second-most home runs in a single season (75).

Under his leadership, Davis became the ACC’s all-time home run leader with 65 to her credit, while Weiman completed her career with 108 wins – the first 100-game winner in program history.

In 2014, Rychcik led the squad to an NCAA Regional Final for the second consecutive season. The team made school and state of North Carolina history by becoming the first team to advance to the regional final without a loss, following the Wolfpack's 5-4 upset win over fourth-seeded and seventh-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. The Pack became just the fifth team to beat a top-four seed before a regional final since 2005.

State finished the season with a 36-18 record in 2014, the fifth-most wins in program history and the fewest losses by an NC State team in school history.

The Wolfpack also made history during the regular season by winning 14 games straight, breaking the previous school record of 13 consecutive games set by his 2013 team. The squad also bested the program mark for home wins with 22 and home winning percentage with an .880 clip.

Rychcik's 2014 team compiled a batting average of .275, eclipsing the previous school record of .273 set by the 2007 squad. State also hit 67 home runs during the year, second only to the 88 homers the 2013 team hit in program history.

Defensively, the Wolfpack committed the fewest errors in the field to record the program's highest fielding percentage at .973. That mark was also good for second in the ACC and 16^th nationally.

In his initial season with the Wolfpack softball team, Rychcik led the squad to the 2013 ACC Championship title - becoming the first head coach in the history of the conference to do so in his/her first season.

Rychcik guided the Pack to a 35-20-1 record in 2013, highlighted by the ACC Championship crown to receive an automatic bid to an NCAA Regional. State won two games in the NCAA Knoxville regional before falling to regional champ and NCAA runner-up Tennessee.

The Wolfpack offense flourished in its first season under Rychcik, breaking multiple program records, individual records and setting multiple ACC marks. In 2013, the Pack smashed 88 home runs surpassing the previous record of 66 set in 2007 by 22. State also scored 288 runs, batted in 266 runs and had a team slugging percentage of .491, all of which are school records.

Under his instruction, Davis hit 26 homers during the 2013 campaign, the third-most in NCAA Division I softball and most by a Wolfpack player. She surpassed the previous school record of 14 by 12 home runs.

On the defensive side, Weiman earned ACC Pitcher of the Year honors - becoming the first NC State player to receive the honor. She led the conference in wins (33), innings pitched (323.1), appearances (54) and games started (52), all of which are school records.

Throughout his playing and coaching career, Rychcik has produced champions and championships.

In a 23-year hall-of-fame playing career, Rychcik won five International Softball Congress world championships and two American Softball Association national championships and twice was recognized by the U.S. Olympic Committee as the men's fast-pitch player of the year.

In his 16 years as a collegiate coach - four as an assistant and 12 as a head coach - Rychcik has won five conference championships and four regular-season championships and led his teams to seven NCAA Regionals, including six in the last seven seasons.

"I want people to know that this will be a hard-working program and we are going to do everything we can to win," Rychcik said. "Everywhere I have been, I've been a winner, whether it was my playing career or my coaching career."

The native of Salamanca, N.Y., was hired on July 6, 2012, to take over the Wolfpack's fastpitch program, which is entering its 14^th season as a varsity sport at NC State. He inherited a program that won the 2006 ACC Championship in its third year, but had posted four consecutive losing seasons in league play.

Rychcik, meanwhile, spent the previous eight seasons turning Boston University into an America East powerhouse, while rewriting the school record book, setting 10 team offensive records and 11 individual single-season marks. His 2007 team was ranked fourth in the nation with 65 home runs in 48 games, sixth in slugging percentage and 12^th in scoring.

"Some coaches like to run exclusively, some like to sit back and build on power," Rychcik said. "I like to do a little bit of both. I like to stay aggressive and put pressure on people. Sometimes we will have runners thrown out stealing or trying to take an extra base.

"I like trying to force the other team to execute. I would rather see a more reckless offense and a more conservative defense, where you give them a single, but don't try to make a big play by throwing it away at first base and putting the other team in scoring position. We want to create as many runs as we can on offense, without giving anything away on defense."

Rychcik's success at Boston University paved the way for his selection as one of 14 members of the U.S. national team coaching pool. From 2009-12, he worked with the national team, including many players who helped the United States win a silver medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

As a player, Rychcik was a power-hitting outfielder and first baseman. He was named to the ISC All-World Team 10 times and was the Most Valuable Player of the 1999 ASA championships, after driving in a record 15 RBIs in five games.

In all, he won five ISC world titles and two ASA national titles, while playing for teams in Florida, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin. He was inducted into the ISC Hall of Fame on Aug. 12, 2012.

After retiring in 2006, Rychcik poured his energy into building on the initial success he had at Boston University.

Prior to his arrival at BU, he served as a first assistant coach at St. Bonaventure University and Millikin University.

Rychcik graduated from Gannon University in 1991 with a degree in physical education/sports management.

He and his wife, Tricia, live in Apex, N.C., with their two sons, Ajay and Drew.

Rychcik's Career Accomplishments

Named the second fastpitch coach in NC State history on July 6, 2012, after eight seasons as head coach at Boston University and two seasons as an assistant.
Led the Wolfpack to the 2013 ACC Championship crown in his first season.
Helped NC State earn its first-ever NCAA Super Regional appearance, also earning the program's third consecutive NCAA Tournament berth for the first time in program history.
Guided BU to three of the school's nine America East tournament championships (2009, '10, 12) and was an assistant coach on another (2003).
Led team to four America East regular-season titles (2007, '10, '11, '12).
Took his team to eight consecutive America East tournament title games.
Made three NCAA Regional appearances (2009, '10, '12) as a head coach, posting a 3-6 record in nine career regional games.
Four-time America East Coach of the Year (2007, '10, '11, `12).
Winningest coach in Boston University history with 271 career victories and 114 conference wins.
Coached four America East players of the year, three pitchers of the year, four rookies of the year, 46 all-conference players and 21 all-rookie team members.
Mentored three All-Americans, four NFCA Academic All-Americans and one CoSIDA Academic All-District I team selection.
Served in the coaching pool for the women's national team from 2009-2012.
Played fastpitch softball for 23 years and was a member of the U.S. men's national team for eight years, winning one gold medal, three silver medals and a bronze medal.
Twice named U.S. Olympic Committee's softball athlete of the year (1999, 2000).
Inducted into the International Softball Congress Hall of Fame on Aug. 12, 2012.

Shawn Rychcik's Head Coaching Record
Year	School	Overall	Pct.	Conf.	Pct.	Postseason
2005	Boston University	26-19-1	.576	14-4	.778	None
2006	Boston University	29-29	.500	11-10	.524	None
2007	Boston University	34-14	.708	17-3	.850	None
2008	Boston University	29-23	.558	15-6	.714	None
2009	Boston University	43-18	.705	14-6	.700	America East Champion, NCAA Regional Final (2-2)
2010	Boston University	35-22	.614	14-3	.823	America East Champion, NCAA Regional (1-2)
2011	Boston University	34-18	.654	14-4	.778	None
2012	Boston University	41-16	.719	15-3	.833	America East Champion, NCAA Regional (1-2)
2013	NC State	35-20-1	.625	13-7	.650	Atlantic Coast Champion, NCAA Regional Final (2-2)
2014	NC State	36-18	.667	16-8	.667	NCAA Regional Final (2-2)
2015	NC State	38-22	.633	13-8	.619	NCAA Regional Champion (3-0), NCAA Super Regional (0-2)
2016	NC State	23-33	.411	6-18	.250	None
2017	NC State	18-38	.321	10-14	.417	None
Record at NC State		150-131-1	.531	48-41	.520
Total	13 seasons	421-290-2	.591	162-80	.661