American baseball coach (1926–2021)
Jack Wallace Cook (July 27, 1926 – November 24, 2021) was an American baseball coach and player, serving two stints as head coach for the Marshall Thundering Herd baseball team 1955 and 1967–1989. In 1994, Cook was inducted into the Marshall University Athletics Hall of Fame for his career as a coach and player.[ 1]
During his time at Marshall, he led the Thundering Herd to their first NCAA tournament in 1973.[ 2] Cook would led Marshall to the NCAA tournament again in 1978 whilst winning SoCon Coach of the Year .[ 3] Prior to his second stint at Marshall, Cook was the head baseball coach at Huntington High School in West Virginia .[ 4]
In 2023, it was announced that Marshall's new baseball stadium will be named Jack Cook Field in his honor.[ 5]
Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season
Team
Overall
Conference
Standing
Postseason
Marshall Thundering Herd (Mid-American Conference ) (1955)
1955
Marshall
2–11
1–6
8th
Marshall Thundering Herd (Mid-American Conference) (1967–1969)
1967
Marshall
11–12
4–5
4th
1968
Marshall
18–7
5–4
3rd
1969
Marshall
14–12–1
7–7
3rd
Marshall Thundering Herd (Independent) (1970–1976)
1970
Marshall
14–12
1971
Marshall
16–19
1972
Marshall
14–11
1973
Marshall
18–10
NCAA Regional
1974
Marshall
21–15
1975
Marshall
24–10
1976
Marshall
18–13
Marshall Thundering Herd (Southern Conference ) (1977–1989)
1977
Marshall
20–21
8–8
4th
1978
Marshall
27–13
11–1
1st
NCAA Regional
1979
Marshall
23–15–1
10–6
4th
1980
Marshall
17–11
10–3
2nd
1981
Marshall
22–17
12–4
T–1st
1982
Marshall
17–21
8–8
T–4th
1983
Marshall
19–14
7–7
T–4th
1984
Marshall
11–16
5–8
3rd (North)
1985
Marshall
26–18–1
10–8
2nd (North)
1986
Marshall
15–18
4–13
4th (North)
1987
Marshall
16–17
5–7
3rd (North)
1988
Marshall
23–17
7–9
3rd (North)
1989
Marshall
16–14
8–5
2nd
Marshall:
422–344–3
122–109
Total:
422–344–3
National champion
Postseason invitational champion
Conference regular season champion
Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
Division regular season champion
Division regular season and conference tournament champion
Conference tournament champion
References
^ "Jack Cook (1994)" . Herdzone.com . Herdzone. Retrieved October 21, 2023 .
^ "Cook Says 'Herd Ready' For First NCAA Tourney" . The Raleigh Register . May 29, 1973. p. 10. Retrieved October 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "League Honors Cook" . The State . May 20, 1978. p. 21. Retrieved October 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Huntington High Coach Takes Marshall Post" . The Raleigh Register . April 28, 1966. p. 25. Retrieved October 21, 2023 – via Newspapers.com .
^ Morehouse, Keith (June 21, 2023). "Marshall to name baseball facility after Jack Cook" . WSAZ-TV . Retrieved October 21, 2023 .