Academy of Art University Athletics

Ed Ricks enters his sixth season as a pitching coach for the Academy of Art University baseball team.

Like so many young boys and girls, Ricks began playing baseball at a very early age.  Ricks grew up in a small town in northern Louisiana where he played high school baseball and basketball. Though he was good enough to play collegiate basketball, Ricks chose to pursue his baseball dreams and accepted an athletic scholarship at Grambling State University where he lettered for two years and earned the honor of Conference Player of the Year for one of those years. 

After his second year at Grambling State, Ricks was a 6th round pick for the New York Yankees in 1972.  He had an impressive career as an AA All-Star pitcher, leading the league in shutouts; a record that still stands today.  Ricks then moved up to AAA ball for the Yankees, played winter ball in Puerto Rico and Venezuela to improve his game, and was called to the show in 1977 when the Yankees won the World Series.  Playing in the major leagues was one of Ricks' greatest athletic honors.

After playing eight seasons of professional baseball, Ricks played one year of professional softball while also coaching in upstate New York.  

Ricks now lives in northern California where he works with his friend of 35 years, former Yankee and SF Giant and owner of Future Pro Baseball, Terry Whitfield.  In addition to being the pitching coach for the Urban Knights, Ricks also does pitching instruction at Future Pro Baseball in Burlingame, CA. Ricks says he is looking forward to the challenge of developing ART U's new baseball program.