Fairview in Boulder has lost another fixture. Rick Harig retired from heading Knights baseball on Wednesday.
The soon to be 55-year-old began in 1983 and missed three seasons, but never really left the Knights even while working for the San Diego Padres or doing college seminars.
“I wrote a Facebook post and was crying in the middle of it,” Harig said late Wednesday night. “I’ve enjoyed from my first class in 1983 to the one in 2016 that I won’t coach.”
Harig, who retired from fulltime teaching the previous school year, has been involved in keynote speaking on performance.
“It’s really interesting to see how many businesses use the concept of competing in sports and carrying it over to their businesses,” Harig said. “I realize I have to give it some energy.”
With more than 1,000 victories during the spring and summer with the Knights, Harig also led them to Class 6A state championship in 1993 and sent dozens of players to higher levels of the game.
Ironically, he can now coach one of his son’s teams. A state rule prohibits prep coaches from also coaching feeder programs, so Harig said he threw about 200 batting-practice pitches to his son, Jackson, and his teammates.
Harig also said he’s grateful for wife Traci’s patience and support.
The Knights, who have been noticeably stable in their coaching ranks for decades, began the school year without longtime athletic director and boys basketball coach Frank Lee, who retired.
“It’s emotional,” Harig said. “So many memories. But I’ll be OK.”
