Rudy Abbott
Rudy Vallee Abbott (December 29, 1940 – February 9, 2022) was an American college baseball coach who served as head coach of the Jacksonville State Gamecocks baseball team from 1970 to 2001. His all-time record is 1003–467 (.682).[1] Coaching careerAbbott coached the Jacksonville State baseball teams to NCAA Division II national champions in 1990 and 1991.[2] Seven of his Jacksonville State baseball teams advanced to the NCAA Division II World Series. In 1979, his team started the season with a 29–0 record, an NCAA record for the best start in history.[3] He was named Division II Coach of the Year in 1990.[4] In Division I, he was named the TAAC Coach of the Year in 1997. As of 2013, Abbott's 1,003 wins placed him ninth on the all-time NCAA list for coaches in Division II.[5] Personal life and deathAbbott was hospitalized with COVID-19-related pneumonia in February 2022. He died on February 9, at the age of 81, in Jacksonville, Alabama.[6] References
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