Ryan Whiteley, head baseball coach at Carl Albert (OK) High School is the 2026 ABCA/ATEC High School Div. II Coach of the Year. Whiteley has built his career around developing players, building relationships, and creating a culture where winning becomes a byproduct of doing things the right way.

In 2026, Whiteley led Carl Albert to the Oklahoma Class 5A State Championship, adding another championship chapter to one of the state’s premier high school baseball programs. This was the Titans 4th State Championship since 2021.

A Lawton, Oklahoma, native and Lawton Eisenhower graduate, Whiteley played his college baseball at Hutchinson Community College before finishing his playing career at Cameron University. Whiteley then began his coaching career in his hometown before taking his first head-coaching position at Cache High School.

In 2017, Whtieley arrived at Carl Albert as an assistant baseball and football coach. He spent four years learning under longtime Titans head coach Tim LaValley, along with fellow assistant Tony Borum, before taking over the program.

Today, we’re going to talk about that journey—the lessons he’s learned along the way, what makes the Carl Albert baseball and football culture so special, developing young athletes and building a championship program.

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The ABCA Podcast is presented by Netting Pros. Netting Professionals are improving programs one facility at a time, specializing in the design, fabrication and installation of custom netting for backstops, batting cages, dugouts, bp screens and ball carts. They also design and install digital graphic wall padding windscreen, turf, turf protectors, dugout benches, dugout cubbies and more.

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