Eugene Starbuck McArtor

Eugene "Gene" McArtor, 83, passed away on July 29, 2024. He was born to John Trusten McArtor and Nina Starbuck McArtor in St. Louis, Missouri on November 12,1940. He is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Donna McArtor, of Columbia; son Steven and daughter-in-law Shivaun McArtor of Fort Collins, CO, grandchildren Chase, Chloe and Drew; son Michael and daughter-in-law Kristen McArtor of Kansas City, MO, grandchildren Miranda and Alyson. He is also survived by his brother Trusten Allan McArtor and wife Grace of Great Falls, VA, and his sister Ninalee Galleher and husband Jim of Woodhaven, MI. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, John McArtor.

Gene McArtor spent over 40 years at the University of Missouri as a student-athlete, coach, and athletic administrator.

McArtor held Bachelors (1963), Masters (1964) and Ph.D (1972) degrees from the University of Missouri.

Academically at the University of Missouri, he was a member of ODK and the Mystical Seven. More importantly, he also met his future wife, Donna Roberts.

As a player at Missouri, he was a three-time letter winning first baseman from 1961-63, and won all-conference and all-district honors in 1963. He played on two Big Eight Conference championship teams and two squads which advanced to the College World Series. As a senior, McArtor was team captain, led the team in RBI, and was an All-Big Eight Conference selection.

After graduation from Mizzou in 1963, he spent six years teaching math and coaching at Brentwood and Hazelwood High Schools in suburban St. Louis. He returned to Columbia in 1969 to complete his Ph.D. while serving as a graduate assistant baseball coach under John “Hi” Simmons. McArtor then served as an assistant on the Mizzou coaching staff until 1973, when he succeeded Simmons as the Tiger’s head coach.

During Coach Mac's 21 years at the helm, McArtor compiled a 733-430-3 record. He led Missouri to a school record 46 wins in the 1976 season and remains the winningest coach in MU baseball history. He won Big Eight championships in 1976 and 1980 including three consecutive Big Eight division crowns. The Tigers also claimed four regular season championships under McArtor, who was twice named Big Eight Coach of the Year. He guided six teams to the NCAA tournament, coached 13 All-Americans and saw 55 players advance to the professional ranks.

A member of the American Baseball Coaches Association, McArtor was elected fourth vice president of the organization in 1987 and rotated through the vice president chairs to the presidency in 1991. He continued to serve on the Board of Directors and chaired the Hall of Fame Committee.

In 1987, he was named chairman of the NCAA Baseball Committee. McArtor directed the championships at the Division I level, coordinated the selection of the institutions for the baseball championship, and was the games committee chairman at the College World Series during a five year period that saw unprecedented growth of the CWS, including national television coverage, bracket expansion and stadium renovation. He most recently served as the NCAA National Coordinator for Baseball Umpires from 2008-2014.

McArtor also served as an assistant coach for the USA National Team in 1986, playing in the annual USA-Japan series, the Pacific Cup Series and the World Championships.

He was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame (2007), American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (1993), University of Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame (2000), Greater St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame (1998), the Webster Groves High School Hall of Fame (1998), and the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame (2023). His number (33) has been retired at the University of Missouri and received the ABCA Lefty Gomez award (1997) for contributions and service to the game of baseball locally, nationally, and internationally. He was named among the top 40 sports figures of the century in Columbia by the Columbia Daily Tribune. He was also tapped as a Baseball Legend by the SEC in 2013 and was recognized as the Kiwanis Don Faurot Sportsperson of the Year in 2014.

After retiring as head baseball coach, McArtor stepped into the athletic administration as Associate Athletic Director in 1994 and was promoted to Senior Associate Athletic Director in June 1997. In addition, McArtor served as MU’s interim Director of Athletics during the summer of 1998. He received the Outstanding Senior Associate Athletic Director Award presented by the All-American Football Foundation. Following his retirement in 2003, he returned to serve as Director of Project Management until 2008.

McArtor also spent 30 years officiating college and high school football with numerous playoff and championship games, and officiated college basketball for 15 years.

Outside of the accolades, his impact on the people around him was immeasurable as a husband, father, brother, friend, coach, colleague and mentor. Gene McArtor leaves behind an extensive coaching tree he mentored and taught, as well as student athletes who benefited from his love of teaching the game of college baseball. His greatest joy was a good discussion on baseball strategy at a Steak ’N’ Shake, or helping one of his players work through a new technique on a long bus ride. His sons and loving wife sum up his life by saying he was a great man, an amazing coach, and an even better husband and father.