Western Illinois Baseball Coach Stan Hyman Passes Away At Age 50
MACOMB, Ill. – 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.