By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Former Seaman star Robbie Rea has been named head baseball coach at Central Oklahoma after serving as an assistant coach for the Bronchos the previous three seasons.
Robbie Rea
"Robbie Rea is ready to become a head coach, and I'm thrilled that he will get that opportunity at UCO," Central Oklahoma vice-president for athletics Stan Wagnon said in a UCO release. "Robbie's background as an accomplished player and his broad experience coaching throughout the region are tremendous assets that will help him to recruit and maintain relationships with student-athletes in college baseball's changing climate.
"I look forward to supporting Robbie in this new role, along with his wife Rachel and their young family."
Rea was a three-time Class 5A state champion for Seaman and was named Kansas State Player of the Year.
He went on to earn All-Big 12 honors as a second baseman for the Oklahoma State Cowboys after earning All-American honors at Cowley during his junior college career.
Rea guided the pitching staff at Central Oklahoma as an assistant coach, with the Bronchos winning 105 games since Rea joined the staff and qualifying for the NCAA Division II Baseball Championship in each of the past two seasons.
Central Oklahoma went 32-19 in Rea's first season as an assistant coach, then 37-16 the following year in 2024. Last spring, Rea and the Bronchos went 36-17 and won the MIAA postseason championship for the first time since joining the league 13 years ago.
UCO has ranked in the top three in the MIAA in staff ERA each of the past three seasons. The Bronchos were second in 2023 (5.12), first in 2024 (4.60), and third this past season (5.21).
UCO's pitching staff has put up 1,274 strikeouts, 8.5 per nine innings, in three seasons with Rea at the helm.
Prior to going to UCO, Rea made stops at MIAA schools Newman and Northeastern State. He also spent time at Cowley College in Kansas as well as Abiline Christian in Texas.
Central Oklahoma returns 22 players from last year's squad, including two-time All-MIAA pitcher Brett Pense. The Bronchos will return to the field in February. A complete schedule will be announced later this fall.
Robbie's younger brother, Butch Rea, is an assistant coach for the Bronchos.
