David Bailiff will continue as Rice Owls head coach

David Bailiff, two-time Conference USA Coach of the Year at Rice, will continue as head coach of the Owls.

UTSA received permission from Rice to speak with Bailiff about the job as head coach of the Roadrunners.

The two sides spoke once by phone, and that is where it ended.

“I’m very honored UTSA had interest in me, but I’m very happy as the head coach at Rice, and I look forward to a lot of successful years with the Owls,” Bailiff said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports.

The UTSA job opened when Larry Coker stepped down on Wednesday.

In 2008 Bailiff led Rice to its first 10-win season since 1949, that concluded with a win in the Texas Bowl, Rice’s first postseason victory since the 1954 Cotton Bowl.

Bailiff, who has led Rice to four bowl games, is the first coach in school history to take the Owls to three consecutive bowl games (2012-2014).

On Bailiff’s watch the Owls had the most the wins in school history over a two-year period (18) and three-year period (25).

When Bailiff led Rice to the Conference USA championship in 2013, it was the Owls’ first outright conference title since 1957.

Following the 2013 season Bailiff was named Conference USA Coach of the Year for the second time, and was a finalist for the Paul Bear Bryant Coach of the Year Award given annually to the nation’s top college coach.

In nine seasons at Rice Bailiff has an overall record of 53-60, which includes two of the three 10-win seasons in school history.

Bailiff hopes to add to his tremendous run with the Rice Owls.