Vols' Coaching Staff Reflects on Impact of Legendary Sports Psychologist Ken Ravizza

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee baseball team and the rest of the baseball world are mourning the loss of world-renowned sports psychologist Ken Ravizza, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 70.

Ravizza was one of the pioneers in the field of sports psychology and worked with numerous athletes and teams across all levels of sports. He was also a longtime professor at Cal State Fullerton.

Ravizza was especially well known and regarded in the baseball world, having worked closely with a handful of professional organizations including the Chicago Cubs in part to his close relationship with Cubs' manager Joe Maddon.

While his impact on professional baseball was certainly profound, Ravizza also greatly affected the collegiate game and was incredibly helpful to numerous members of Tennessee's coaching staff throughout their careers.

"The average baseball fan may not even know Ken's name but if they had the information in front of them, they would be absolutely astounded at how much success he contributed to at the collegiate and pro level," Vols' head coach Tony Vitello said. "Whether it was helping the Cubs break their World Series drought, UCLA winning a national championship or helping individuals like J.P. Arencibia, he had a massive impact and did it all under the radar. He was a guy who simply wanted to help."

Ravizza helped Vitello when he was a young assistant coach at the University of Missouri and counseled him throughout his first year at Tennessee by having monthly conversations.

"The first complete season was trying for me as it is any first-year head coach. The advice and conversations I had from Ken were a tremendous help," Vitello said.

Vols' pitching coach Frank Anderson also got to know Ravizza well during his time as an assistant coach at Texas. Ravizza was very close to legendary Longhorns' skipper Augie Garrido and was a resource for the Texas baseball team during its incredibly successful run that included College World Series championships in 2002 and 2005.

Ravizza also made a lasting impact on Arencibia, who rejoined the Tennessee program last season as a student assistant coach while he completes his Bachelor's degree. Arencibia was an All-American for the Vols before becoming a first-round draft pick in 2007 and embarking on a successful 10-year stint in professional baseball, which included six seasons in the major leagues.

"Ken is one of the most respected guys in baseball and has touched many players lives you watch on TV daily." Arencibia said. "He helped me learn how to mentally approach the game again and it allowed me to return to the MLB as a successful player. His voice and gift to help players in this game will be missed."

University of Tennessee Athletics

Vols' Coaching Staff Reflects on Impact of Legendary Sports Psychologist Ken Ravizza

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