Warren Rutledge graduated from the College of William & Mary where he was an All-State baseball pitcher. He eventually served in the Army and won 26 consecutive games at Fort Lee. Upon completion of his military duty, Rutledge earned a spot with the New York Yankees’ Triple-A team, the Richmond Virginians of the International League. The Connecticut native enjoyed a fine but short-lived baseball career before an arm injury forced him to abandon the diamond competition.
While a promising baseball career was abruptly ending, a new career in basketball was about to skyrocket to national proportions. Rutledge would go on to serve as basketball coach for Benedictine High School for 43 years. His feats there became legendary and unparalleled in Virginia sports history. His teams compiled an astonishing 949-334 record, seventh best in national high school annals, and for many years the total was over 300 victories more than any other high school coach in Virginia. Included in Rutledge’s reign were 26 state Catholic championships, 40 winning seasons, 32 seasons with 20 or more victories and a 95-game State winning streak from 1970 to 1975. Rutledge also led the baseball team to over 200 victories from 1958 to 1975.
Rutledge served as Director of Athletics at Benedictine for 40 years. One of the most widely acclaimed accomplishments under his tenure as Athletic Director was the establishment of the Benedictine Capital City Classic (BCCC). This successful high school Christmas tournament was established in 1966 and today remains as one of the top prep events attracting the nation’s premier high school teams and prospects. Rutledge led his Cadet squads to the title four times during his long career.
In 1983, he was selected to lead the nation’s best as a coach in the McDonald’s All-Star Classic. That same year, Rutledge was enshrined into the William and Mary Athletic Hall of Fame. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame further honored Rutledge when he was named recipient of the award that recognizes a winning percentage of 80% or better for a five-year period.