Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

There was a flood of emotions at the Bartlesville Public Board of Education meeting Monday, as the board voted unanmimously to approve the naming of Rigdon Field at Doenges Memorial Stadium to recognize long-time Bruin baseball coach Spence Rigdon.

Rigdon is now the school district’s Athletics and Activities Director and is in the final stages of his life due to the ravages of colon cancer. Three and a half years ago, Spence was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer.  After numerous surgeries and extensive treatment, he will now be transitioning to hospice care. Concerning Rigdon’s battle with cancer, Superintendent Chuck McCauley has stated, “Spence is the toughest person I have ever known.”

WATCH VIDEO OF BOARD MEMBERS RECACTIONS

Spence Rigdon has positively influenced many lives through his coaching in baseball and other sports, teaching, church, athletics administration, and community involvement. He taught social studies in the Bartlesville Public Schools for 18 years including a long stint in the district’s alternative high school program. He served as a district varsity baseball coach for thirteen years. In 2015, he was the recipient of the annual Kurt Schmoldt Teacher Appreciation Award and soon after that earned a master’s degree. In June of 2018, he became the Director of Athletics and Activities.

Speaking with Spence Rigdon after the meeting, he was very humble when asked about having the field named after him. He deferred greatly speaking glowingly of the many teams and individual players that once played on that field. And he reflected briefly on the time he spent there as a coach and a player.

WATCH OUR ONE-ON-ONE VIDEO WITH SPENCE 

A Bartlesville native, Rigdon is a 1991 graduate of Bartlesville High School. He attended Kansas City Community College and graduated from Pittsburg State University in Kansas, where he played baseball. Rigdon began his career as the head baseball coach in Marysville, Kansas in 1996 while also coaching junior-level football and basketball. He later returned to Bartlesville to coach junior high football and basketball and freshman baseball. In 2001, he began coaching varsity football and was named the varsity assistant coach in baseball in 2004 before his stint as head coach.

Spence’s wife, Christina, is a Family Support Coordinator for Title I schools in the district. They have three children: Rilee (19), Bradee (16), and Cy (11). A Go Fund Me account has been created to support the Rigdon family at https://www.gofundme.com/f/7u39w-bless-the-spence-rigdon-family