Donald Kirsch (September 29, 1920Birthdate obtained from Social Security Death Index. – May 7, 1970) was a college baseball coach at the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

for 23 years.

Early life and playing career

Kirsch was born in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the list of cities in Oregon, largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, Columbia rivers, Portland is ...

in 1920. He attended Jefferson High School where he played basketball and baseball. He played on three Portland Interscholastic League championship baseball teams and was all-PIL in both baseball and basketball. After graduating from high school, Kirsch attended the

, where he played baseball and basketball for

Howard Hobson Howard Andrew "Hobby" Hobson (July 4, 1903 – June 9, 1991) was an American basketball player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head basketball coach at Southern Oregon Normal School—now Southern Oregon Univers ...

, who was coach of both teams. Kirsch was a three-year

letterman Letterman may refer to: * Letterman (sports), a classification of high school or college athlete in the United States People * David Letterman (born 1947), American television talk show host ** ''Late Night with David Letterman'', talk show that ...

in both sports.

Coaching career

In 1948, Hobson left Oregon to coach basketball at

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

, and Kirsch was named to succeed him as the Ducks' baseball coach. In his 23 years as head coach, Kirsch never had a losing season. Under his leadership, the Ducks won five Northern Division titles, and in 1954, led the Ducks to the 1954 College World Series. Though the team was eliminated in two straight games, this marked Oregon's only appearance in the College World Series. Kirsch was named District VIII coach of the year in 1963.

Illness and death

In 1967, Kirsch was diagnosed with

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

. He continued to coach the Ducks until 1970, when he stepped down as coach to pursue experimental medical treatment at Stanford University Medical Center. On May 7, 1970, Kirsch fell from a second-story balcony at Stanford Hospital into a courtyard, and died soon afterwards from massive head injuries.

Legacy

Kirsch was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1972, the

Oregon Sports Hall of Fame The Oregon Sports Hall of Fame honors Oregon athletes, teams, coaches, and others who have made a significant contribution to sports in Oregon. The first class was inducted in 1980, with new inductees added in the fall. Operated by the Oregon Sports ...

in 1981, the University of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1993, and the Portland Interscholastic League Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirsch, Don Oregon Ducks baseball players Oregon Ducks baseball coaches Accidental deaths from falls 1920 births 1970 deaths Accidental deaths in California Jefferson High School (Portland, Oregon) alumni Baseball players from Portland, Oregon