ARLINGTON, Texas – UT Arlington head baseball coach Mike Trapasso has announced the promotion of Tyler Rice to Assistant Coach after Rice spent the previous season on the Mavericks' staff as a volunteer assistant.

Rice has been promoted to a full-time Assistant Coach after serving as a volunteer assistant in 2026, Director of Player Development in 2025, and graduate assistant during the 2024 campaign. A former Maverick standout, he's been part of the program in multiple capacities since arriving on campus as a student-athlete in 2019.

"Tyler has been an integral part of our staff, and the UTA program for several years. He was an outstanding player and is now an outstanding coach. He is a great ambassador for UTA," said Head Coach Mike Trapasso.

A native of Mesa, Arizona, Rice graduated from UT Arlington in 2023 after completing a five-year playing career with the Mavericks. He appeared in 150 career games with 107 starts, collecting 90 hits, 39 RBI, and 60 runs scored while showcasing his versatility by playing multiple infield positions.

During his senior season in 2023, Rice started 44 games while splitting time between second base, third base, first base, and shortstop. He batted .282 with a .400 on-base percentage, six doubles, three home runs, and 13 RBI while scoring 35 runs. He ranked sixth on the team with 12 multi-hit performances and finished the year with a five-game hitting streak and a 13-game on-base streak.

Rice earned Sun Belt Conference Academic Honor Roll recognition in 2020 and 2022 and was named to the Sun Belt Commissioner's List in 2021. In 2022, he and his brother, Tanner, became the first siblings in program history to start the same game when they were both in the lineup against Army on March 9.

Off the field, Rice earned a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from UT Arlington and has continued working toward a Master of Science in Exercise Science while serving on the coaching staff.

Before arriving at UTA, Rice was a standout at Red Mountain High School in Mesa, where he earned Second Team All-Arizona, First Team All-Region, and Second Team All-City honors after batting .432 with 26 RBI as a senior. He was also a three-time Golden Scholar Athlete and a member of the National Society of High School Scholars.

Rice is the son of Bryan and Sharra Rice. His father, Bryan, played collegiate baseball at Grand Canyon University and has coached the sport for more than 25 years.