During his playing career, Riggleman was an infielder and outfielder in the Los Angeles Dodgers and St. Louis Cardinals minor league systems from 1974 to 1981. After his playing career ended, he managed in the Cardinals and San Diego Padres minor league systems until 1992, when he became the Padres' manager. From 1992 to 2011 Riggleman managed the Padres, Chicago Cubs, Seattle Mariners, and Washington Nationals, and also served as a major league coach with the Dodgers, Mariners, and Nationals between his managerial stints. His most recent major league managerial job was with the Nationals, a post he resigned from on June 23, 2011. Subsequently, he was employed as a scout with the San Francisco Giants. In 2015 he became a coach with the Cincinnati Reds. On April 19, 2018, he became the Reds' interim manager after Bryan Price was fired.