After 47 Years, Legendary Eureka Baseball Coach Jerry Rashid Retires
EUREKA, Ill. – After nearly 47 years of coaching baseball, Eureka head baseball coach and Illinois high school baseball icon Jerry Rashid is retiring.
Rashid, the Red Devils' head coach for the past seven years, ends his time 'Neath the Elms as the winningest and longest-tenured head coach in the Eureka baseball program's modern era.
"I have had a remarkably fulfilling career, and it's only been strengthened by my time at Eureka," said Rashid, whose last day at Eureka will be Oct. 16. "I've enjoyed every moment of being with high school students and college students, and all of those memories and experiences have made my coaching career fulfilling."
"The Eureka College Athletic Department and I thank Coach Rashid for his contributions," Eureka College Director of Athletics Sara Shaw said. "He has touched many lives during his time here and we are thankful for all he has done for our student-athletes. We wish him all the best in his next chapter."
Over six seasons at the helm at Eureka, Rashid led the Red Devils to 70 wins, giving him 877 career coaching victories between high school and college dating back to 1978.
Since he was first announced as Eureka head baseball coach on July 21, 2017, Rashid has managed a complete overhaul of the Red Devil program. He quickly changed the way the team trained, competed and conducted itself on and off the field, and, over time, instituted an impressive series of renovations at Henry Sand Field.
From Day 1, Rashid prioritized facility upgrades that would vastly improve the playing and spectator experience at Henry Sand Field. In his time at Eureka, the program leveled the field, installed 16,000 square feet of sod in the infield, and a new warning track and windscreen in the outfield, installed a new scoreboard, PA system and 50 permanent bleacher seats behind home plate, painted the dugouts, added two new batting cages, and constructed a new backstop wall with netting.
In his first season at Eureka in 2018, Rashid's squad doubled its win total from the previous year, lowered its team ERA by more than four runs and recorded its first-ever win over a nationally ranked opponent. His first two years (2018-2019) at EC were the program's winningest two-year stretch (30 wins) since Eureka Hall of Famer Craig Gerdes guided the Red Devils to 30 wins between the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
After weathering the complications of COVID-19 in 2020 and 2021 and a mid-season heart attack in 2022, Rashid saw his 2022 team record 16 wins for only the fourth time in the program's modern era, win seven of its first 11 games for the first time in the program's modern era and finish in the top six in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference for the first time since 2010.
Last spring, Eureka baseball continued to make history. After a slow start, the team finished strong, winning six of its last eight games to qualify for the SLIAC Tournament for the third straight year and only the fourth time ever. The Red Devils then shut out Fontbonne 6-0 to clinch their first SLIAC Tournament victory in program history.
"I am most proud of the progress of the baseball program and the many firsts that we accomplished," Rashid said. "There were a lot of firsts for the program. Those are things that I hope will continue and that more records will be broken with the next coach.
"I feel like I've left the program in the best shape that it's ever been in. Our kids continue to buy in, and I'm so proud of them and their efforts in making this a good, competitive team."
Before he was a Red Devil, Rashid won 807 games in 39 seasons as a high school head baseball coach at Princeville, Bergan, Notre Dame and Illinois Valley Central. Rashid led his teams to 18 conference championships, 17 IHSA regional titles, four sectional crowns and five appearances in the Sweet 16. He was previously the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame Tri-County Coach of the Year in 2006, a two-time IHSBCA Division 4 Coach of the Year and a finalist for the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
Rashid guided three of his IVC squads (2006, 2008, 2010) to the IHSA state semifinals, including two appearances in the state title game. His 2006 IVC team, led by third-round Major League Baseball Draft pick, longtime MLB relief pitcher and current New York Yankee Zach McAllister, went 40-2 on its way to the IHSA Class A championship. The Grey Ghosts won at least 23 games in eight consecutive seasons from Rashid's first season in 2005 through 2012.
Including McAllister, six of Rashid's former student-athletes at IVC went on to be selected in the MLB Draft. Rashid mentored Jordan Parr (2012 Dodgers, 2013 Diamondbacks), Josh Parr (2011 Diamondbacks), Justin Parr (2013 Phillies), Chris Razo (2013 Brewers) and Drasen Johnson (2015 Rockies) prior to their collegiate and/or professional careers.
As an educator, Rashid also taught high-school English, social studies and physical education for 40 years. He graduated from Bradley University with a bachelor's degree in education in 1977.
Rashid is a member of two Hall of Fames. He was inducted into the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2000, and he joined the Greater Peoria Sports Hall of Fame in 2022.
Now, he's excited to experience new adventures, such as traveling to MLB spring training for the first time in his life.
"I'm happy to do what I've done for so many years," Rashid said. "I can't think of anything better than doing this for a career, and I look forward to new chapters in my life and whatever comes next."