Pima brings back program’s first-ever baseball coach Rich Alday to lead Aztecs

Rich Alday finished his fourth season with Ironwood Ridge High School’s softball team, which he led to two state championships, with plans to retire. Again.

But retirement didn’t last long.

Three weeks later, Pima College athletic director Edgar Soto contacted Alday to ask if he’d be interested in coaching the baseball team. Alday found himself back at the helm of the program he helped start back in 1974.

Although Alday said he sometimes wondered if he should have just stayed retired, he doesn’t regret coming home.

“Right now, yes, I should have retired,” Alday said with a laugh Wednesday after preparing the field for practice. “But I like it. I really enjoy working with the kids. That’s what brought me back.”

The 70-year-old said he’s not sure how long he’ll stay at Pima this time.

“Hopefully I’ll be here for two, three years, or maybe four years, and then I’ll retire again,” Alday said.

Alday led Pima to a 496-220 record between 1974-89, and was a three-time NJCAA All-Region coach. He led the Aztecs to five ACCAC championships, three NJCAA World Series appearances and a reached the championship game in 1985.

After Pima, Alday went on to the University of New Mexico, where he became the program’s all-time winningest coach.

It was after his time in Albuquerque that Alday decided to retire and, along with his wife Norma, move back to Tucson to be close to family.

Now, after coaching high school softball and testing retirement, Alday again is preparing for the upcoming season. The Aztecs open Friday with a doubleheader at home against New Mexico Military Institute. Game 1 starts at 11 a.m.

Returning infielder Jesus Solis said he wasn’t worried about the change in staff between his freshman and sophomore seasons. Alday replaced Jason Hisey, who stepped down in May.

“I don’t think it’s affected the team,” Solis said. “I think it’s helped a little because he’s (more calm).”

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And Solis wasn’t the only one glad to have Alday coaching. The coach said he received praise from previous athletes for coming back to Pima.

“All of a sudden, a lot of the people that I had coached before called me to say they were happy I was back,” he said.

Now, Alday said he’s working on making sure the team is ready for the season.

Freshman outfielder Ralphie Padilla said he focused exclusively on baseball during the offseason.

“I was really just looking forward to the season,” said Padilla, a Nogales High School product. “Whatever came of it, I was just going to show them what I could do. That was my mindset.”

But having some of his teammates from Nogales — there are six Apaches on the Aztecs’ roster — has helped him transition into playing college ball.

“It’s definitely comforting to be able to be with guys you already played with and even with guys that you may not have played in high school, you played against them over the years,” Padilla said. “It’s definitely reassuring coming into the program knowing people. It’s comforting.”

Alday said he also hopes to use the momentum from the Nogales athletes to propel the team forward this year.

“We’re trying to get them to the next level, as far as winning goes. Winning is contagious,” Alday said.

And if things don’t fall into play this season, Alday has a plan.

“This year is going to be a situation where I’m going to go out and give it a shot,” he said. “Hopefully we do well this year. But we’ve already recruited some seven kids for next year. We’re really excited.”

For now, the goal is the same as it is any year — reach the playoffs and make a championship run.

“We’re just going to go out and play hard, do little things we’ve been working on,” Alday said. “You always have the goal to be set to go to the world series, but there’s steps to get there. Winning games, and then getting to the playoffs and then moving on from there.”