COLUMBIA, Mo. – University of Missouri Athletics mourns the loss of one of the pillars of its championship tradition, after Hall of Fame head baseball coach Gene McArtor passed away Sunday at the age of 83.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Gene McArtor, a true Mizzou legend,” MU Director of Athletics Laird Veatch said. “Gene’s dedication to our baseball program as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach, and his unwavering commitment to the University of Missouri, left an indelible mark on our program and athletics department. His leadership, integrity and passion for Mizzou as a player, coach and administrator were truly remarkable. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this time. Gene’s legacy will forever be part of Mizzou Athletics.”
One of just three Tigers to have his uniform number (33) retired, McArtor was a fixture on the University of Missouri campus as a player, coach and administrator. He remains Mizzou’s winningest head baseball coach with 733 career victories to his credit, and the Tigers’ indoor training and clubhouse complex at Taylor Stadium was christened the McArtor Baseball Facility in his honor in 2010.
A product of Webster Groves High School, McArtor won All-Conference and All-District honors as Mizzou’s first baseman from 1961-63. He played on two Big Eight Conference championship teams and two squads which advanced to the College World Series (1962 and 1963), serving as team captain as a senior. He returned to MU as assistant baseball coach in 1969 after coaching and teaching at the high school level in his hometown of St. Louis. McArtor served in that role until 1974 when he succeeded Mizzou’s legendary head coach John “Hi” Simmons as the Tigers’ bench boss.
During his 21 years at the helm, McArtor compiled a 733-430-3 record and won Big Eight championships in 1976 and 1980. He guided six teams to the NCAA Tournament, coached 13 All-Americans and 41 all-conference players.
“We have lost one of the all-time Tiger greats in Coach Mac,” Mizzou Head Coach Kerrick Jackson stated. “His impact on this program, the University and our game is second to none. His guidance and mentorship will be missed by all who were privileged to be in his presence. I truly cherished our conversations and his leadership. The toughness and discipline on which his program was built were elements he fully embraced and believed in, and it is our goal to continue that tradition and make him proud.”
McArtor served on the NCAA Baseball Committee from 1987-92, including two years as chairman, during a period of unprecedented growth for the CWS. A former president of the American Baseball Coaches Association, McArtor is a member of the ABCA Hall of Fame, the Webster Groves High School Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the MU Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in 1999 and the Missouri State Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
After retiring as baseball coach, he continued to serve MU first as senior associate director of athletics, then as director of project management and later as interim director of athletics.
