Ryle head softball coach Craig Milburn retires after 50 total years in coaching

Northern Kentucky’s most decorated high school softball program is looking for a new head coach after saying goodbye to a legend.

Craig Milburn has retired after eight seasons as the Raiders head coach. The school announced his departure Tuesday morning.

Milburn had been the head coach at Ryle since 2014, the last stop of a 50-year career, most of it in Florida.

A Kentucky native and graduate of Eastern Kentucky University, Milburn spent more than 30 years at Zephyrhills High School near Tampa.

He was head coach of baseball for 16 years and boys basketball for 11 in addition to being the athletic director there.

He moved to Northern Kentucky to be with his daughter McKensi Madden and her family. Madden’s sister-in-law Katie Haitz is Ryle’s head girls basketball coach. At Katie’s wedding, Milburn heard about the newly open Ryle softball job and decided to apply for it.

Milburn’s family and rest of the Raiders program honored him for his five decades of service during a home game against Notre Dame May 15. The honors included a pregame ceremony and numerous pieces of memorabilia visible throughout the stadium. Ryle players wore ribbons in their hair with his name on them.

“Family is a big thing,” Milburn said that day. “When I came up here, I kind of fell into the job. It fell into my lap and it’s been a blessing.”

Milburn said that day he had been battling health issues.

“Watching kids grow up and watching them mature, helping them more than in the sport, helping them in life,” he said. “That’s been a big part of my coaching, learning about life, respect and that’s what I try to teach.”

Milburn had a record of 124-88, including two 33rd District championships, and one Ninth Region title in 2018.

Ryle has won 10 regional titles, the most of any Northern Kentucky school. Boone County and Notre Dame are next with four apiece.

The Raiders won the state championship in 2006, the only one by a Ninth Region program.