Rich Billings
Founder of Billings Baseball Academy
Rich Billings returned to Lake-Sumter State College in June of 2015 as the Head Baseball Coach after a year long stint at Leesburg High School in Leesburg, FL.
Prior to his stint at LHS, he was an assistant coach in 2013 and 2014 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. While at FAU, he worked with outfielders and assisted with hitters while also serving as the Owls first base coach and Coordinator of Baseball Operations. He helped the Owls to a 2013 Sun Belt Conference Championship and an appearance in the Chapel Hill Regional. FAU just missed out on a Super Regional appearance losing in the championship game in 13 innings to the #1 nationally ranked, North Carolina Tarheels. The Owls finished the 2013 season ranked 20th nationally.
Billings is no stranger to Lake-Sumter State College however. He spent five seasons (2008-2012) as the head coach before moving on to FAU. Billings also spent two seasons (2006-2007) as an assistant coach at LSSC before becoming the youngest college head coach in the country in 2008 at age 23.
During his 5-year head coaching stint at LSSC Billings saw his 2009 team break the school record for team batting average finishing the year right at .300. He also saw 4 of his teams earn spots in the top five in all time fielding percentage while his 2012 team has the 3rd best ERA in program history. He also led the 2011 squad in their first trip to the FCSAA State Tournament after a 2nd place finish in the Mid-Florida Conference. While at the tournament they also earned the school’s first ever state tournament victory when they eliminated the State College of Florida Manatees 8-3 in game two.
Billings has sent over 70 players to the 4-year level in just seven seasons; 20 of those to the Division I level. He has coached 12 Academic All Americans with two teams finishing in the top 15 nationally in team GPA. In 2008 he coached the Florida Defensive Player of the Year (Nick DelGuidice) while also seeing his first player drafted (RHP John Michael Blake – 32nd Round – San Francisco Giants).
Billings also has coaching experience with the Leesburg Lightning of the Florida Collegiate Summer League. He spent the 2007 and 2012 seasons as the hitting coach for the Lightning and took over as the head coach in 2015. In four of his six seasons with the Lightning he has helped them to the FCSL championship game at Tropicana Field winning the title in 2007 and the title in 2021 at Pat Thomas Stadium. He also served as the hitting coach for the Wilson Tobs of the Coastal Plain League in Wilson, NC in 2014. He helped the Tobs earn their first playoff berth since 2009 before being eliminated in the second round of the 2014 CPL Playoffs.