University News
Baseball coach Stan Hyman passes away at age 50
September 5, 2009
By Western Illinois Athletics
MACOMB, IL -- Western Illinois University head baseball coach Stan Hyman passed away at Methodist Medical Center in Peoria, Ill., early Saturday morning, at the age of 50, after battling leukemia for the past month.
"It is a sad day not only for Western Illinois University and the Athletics Department, but also for all of college baseball," Western Illinois Director of Athletics Dr. Tim Van Alstine said. "Stan revitalized the Leatherneck baseball program and was a catalyst in the construction of Alfred D. Boyer Stadium, a state of the art facility that opened in 2006."
Hyman served as head coach for the Leathernecks for eight seasons. He won his 350th career game against Centenary on May 16th and has recorded some of his most proud victories over nationally-ranked opponents such as Long Beach State, Missouri, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Iowa, Kansas, State, Michigan State, Illinois-Chicago and Oral Roberts during his tenure at Western.
In addition to serving the Leathernecks, Hyman was very active in the community and coached his youngest son's Macomb Little League baseball team.
Prior to coming to Macomb, Hyman served three seasons as the head coach at Division III Rutgers-Newark (1998-2001). He began his coaching career at Albright (Penn.) College, where he started as a pitching coach (1992-94) and later became the all-time winningest coach as head coach, recording a 116-59-1 record (1994-98).
Fourteen of Hyman's former players have been drafted professionally or have signed free agent contracts, including two third-round picks in the Major League Baseball draft.
Three times in his 15-year head coaching tenure Hyman has been selected as coach of the year. Hyman came to Western as the 39th winningest active coach in NCAA Division III, with an overall record of 178-106-1 (.624).
Prior to his coaching career, Hyman was a press agent from 1982-85, representing professional athletes such as boxer Roberto Duran and football great Bubba Smith. As president of the Los Angeles-based Hyman & Associates, he also represented recording artists, including Al Jarreau and Kim Carnes.
A former sportswriter and music columnist, Hyman's work has appeared in such publications as Rolling Stone, Philadelphia Inquirer, Boston Globe, Chicago Sun-Times, Interview, and Dallas Morning News.
"As much as he wanted his own team to win, he wanted all Western teams to win," Van Alstine said. "He was often the shoulder that many of our coaches needed through difficult times in their season. The entire athletics department, coaching staff and student athletes extend our deepest sympathies to Robin, Cara, Mychal and Jordan."
Hyman is survived by his wife Robin and children, Cara, 22, Mychal, 18, and Jordan, 11. Plans for a memorial service that will be held later in the week are currently being conducted. Details for the memorial service will follow.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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