Story Links WINONA, Minn. – Winona State Athletics is mourning the loss of former Head Baseball Coach and Hall of Famer Gary Grob. Grob devoted 44 years to Winona State University as a student, teacher, and coach. As a student at WSU, Grob was a standout baseball player on teams that made it to the 1961 […]
WINONA, Minn. – Winona State Athletics is mourning the loss of former Head Baseball Coach and Hall of Famer Gary Grob.
Grob devoted 44 years to Winona State University as a student, teacher, and coach. As a student at WSU, Grob was a standout baseball player on teams that made it to the 1961 and 1962 NAIA World Series. A standout hitter, his .354 career batting average still ranks him in the WSU top-25 list for that statistic.Grob led the Warriors to a 1,020-563-10 mark during his tenure. That record includes 31 consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins and 17 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) titles. After participating in the NAIA World Series as a player, Grob made it back as a coach, leading the Warriors to three appearances in 1972, 1988 and 1992.A 15-time NAIA District 13 Coach of the Year, Grob coached 158 all-conference performers and 16 of his players signed professional baseball contracts. Well-regarded by his peers, Grob was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame, the NAIA Hall of Fame and the NSIC Hall of Fame.
“Coach Grob was Warrior Baseball.” said Winona State University President Dr. Ken Janz. “His commitment to our university, our baseball program, and our community was amazing. My thoughts go out to the family during this difficult time. Number 8 will be missed by his many faithful alumni, his family and friends, and our university community.”
Grob is survived by his wife Marilyn and their four children, Lenae, Rhonda, Karla, and Kari. Memorial services will be announced at a later date.
Grob graduated in 1961 and took a teaching position in Oshkosh, Wis. Two years later, he returned to Winona to work on his master’s degree and was hired as the Warriors’ assistant baseball coach under Luther McCown. Grob was named head coach in 1965 and led the Warriors for 35 seasons. His only break came in 1975 when he took a sabbatical to attend the University of Utah, where he completed his doctoral degree in 1977.
