INDIANAPOLIS --- Gene McArtor, who spent over 40 years at the University of Missouri as a student-athlete, coach and administrator, has been named NCAA National Coordinator for Baseball Umpires. McArtor replaces Dave Yeast who resigned in February.
As national coordinator, Gene will assist the Division I Baseball Committee with the selection and evaluation of officials for the Division I championship. He will also work with officials, as well as conference coordinators and regional advisors of officiating, coaches and NCAA staff, to help provide clear and consistent interpretations of NCAA men’s baseball rules and officiating mechanics. In doing so, he will work in conjunction with NCAA Baseball Secretary-Rules Editor Jim Paronto and other individuals with umpire mechanics expertise.
“The national coordinator plays a critical role in ensuring we have the very best umpires for the Division I baseball championship. We are fortunate to have someone of Gene’s quality serving in this leadership role,” said Larry Templeton, athletics director at Mississippi State University and chair of the NCAA Division I Baseball Committee.
McArtor has a long history with the NCAA. He was named chair of the NCAA Baseball Committee in 1987, directing the championships in Division I and coordinating the selection of the 48 Division I schools for the championship and College World Series (CWS). He also was the committee chair during a five-year tenure that saw unprecedented growth of the championship, including national television coverage, bracket expansion and stadium renovation. In addition to his committee experience, McArtor also spent 30 years officiating high school and college football games that included numerous years of playoff and championship game experience.
McArtor has been a member of the executive committee and board of directors for the American Baseball Coaches Association. In 1987, he was elected fourth vice president of the organization and rotated through the vice president chairs to the presidency in 1991. He is also a member of the ABCA Hall of Fame.
McArtor stepped into athletics administration at Missouri later in his career, first taking the position of associate athletics director and then senior associate athletics director in 1997. He then moved to director of project management and also served a stint as MU’s interim director of athletics.
As head coach, McArtor guided six teams to the NCAA Tournament, coached 13 All-Americans and 41 all-conference players, and guided 55 players to the professional ranks during his tenure. During his 21 years as head coach, he compiled a 733-430-3 record and became the winningest coach at Mizzou when he recorded his 482nd win in April 1987. He won Big Eight championships in 1976 and 1980, including three-consecutive Big Eight Eastern Division crowns under the old divisional format. The Tigers also claimed four regular season conference championships, with McArtor twice earning Big Eight Coach of the Year honors. He led Missouri to a school record 46 wins in the 1976 season and remains the winningest coach in MU baseball history. McArtor earned his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D degrees at Missouri.
“We’ve seen significant progress in umpiring over the years, and much of that can be attributed to Dave Yeast’s leadership and individuals who love the sport and are willing to accept change for the betterment of the sport,” said McArtor. “I look forward to the opportunity to continue the growth and build on the successes we’ve witnessed, which helps our umpires and provides a great experience for student-athletes and coaches.”
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