View source for Gene Stephenson

{{Short description|American baseball coach (born 1945)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox college coach
| name = Gene Stephenson
| image = 
| alt = 
| caption = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1945|8|31}}
| birth_place = [[Council Grove, Kansas]], U.S.
| death_date = 
| death_place = 
| alma_mater = 
| player_years1 = 1965–1968
| player_team1 = [[Missouri Tigers baseball|Missouri]]
| player_positions = [[First baseman]]
| coach_years1 = 1969
| coach_team1 = [[Missouri Tigers baseball|Missouri]] (assistant)
| coach_years2 = 1973–1977
| coach_team2 = [[Oklahoma Sooners baseball|Oklahoma]] (assistant)
| coach_years3 = 1978–2013
| coach_team3 = [[Wichita State Shockers baseball|Wichita State]]
| overall_record = {{Winning percentage|1837|675|3|record=y}}
| bowl_record = 
| tournament_record = 
| championships = 
*[[College World Series]] ([[1989 College World Series|1989]])
*18× [[Missouri Valley Conference baseball tournament]] (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991–1993, 1998–2000, 2002–2005, 2008, 2009, 2013)
*20× [[Missouri Valley Conference]] regular season (1985, 1987–2000, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010)
| awards = 
| coaching_records = 
| CBASEHOF_year      = 2014
}}
'''Gene Stephenson''' (born August 31, 1945)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://web1.ncaa.org/stats/StatsSrv/careercoach|title = NCAA® Career Statistics}}</ref> is an American former [[college baseball]] coach, who served as the head baseball coach at [[Wichita State Shockers baseball|Wichita State]] from 1978 to 2013.

==Career==
When he arrived at Wichita State, he inherited a program that had been dormant for over seven years.  In his first year, despite not playing a home game until their 18th game, his Shockers finished with a winning record.  In his third year, they made the first [[NCAA Division I baseball tournament|NCAA tournament]] appearance in school history, and in his fifth they advanced all the way to the title game.   The team, with four first team All-Americans (seven overall), lost to [[Miami Hurricanes baseball|Miami]].  This was all the more remarkable considering that until 1984, they played at a bare-bones stadium with only a tiny bleacher section for seating.  The momentum from their 1982 title game appearance helped spearhead the building of a permanent facility, [[Eck Stadium]], in 1985.

Under his leadership, the Shockers made seven [[College World Series]] and 26 NCAA tournament appearances, including 14 straight from 1987 to 2000. His teams never had a losing season.  His 1982 team went 73–14, establishing an NCAA record for single-season wins.<ref name=History>{{cite web|title=The History of Shocker Baseball|url=http://www.goshockers.com/fls/7500/pdf/bsbhistory.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=7500|publisher=GoShockers.com|access-date=12 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140723092840/http://www.goshockers.com/fls/7500/pdf/bsbhistory.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=7500|archive-date=23 July 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Stephenson won his first CWS championship in [[1989 College World Series|1989]]; also in 1989, the Shockers won 24 consecutive games.

Prior to coaching at WSU, he served as an assistant coach at [[Oklahoma Sooners baseball|Oklahoma]]. During that tenure, the Sooners won five league championships, and went to five College World Series.

For most of the day on July 10, 2005, Stephenson was the head coach of Oklahoma.  Several hours after accepting the job, however, Stephenson decided to remain at Wichita State, reportedly due to scholarship issues at Oklahoma.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kimmey|first=Will|title=True Shocker: Stephenson returns to Wichita State|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/news/050712stephenson.html|access-date=13 June 2012|newspaper=Baseball America|date=12 July 2005}}</ref>

After 36 years, Stephenson was fired on June 4, 2013.<ref name="Stephenson-WSU-History">[http://www.kansas.com/2013/06/04/2832320/chronicling-36-years-with-gene.html ''Chronicling 36 years with Gene Stephenson at Wichita State''; The Wichita Eagle; June 4, 2013.]</ref><ref>[http://www.kansas.com/2013/06/04/2832291/gene-stephenson-announces-end.html ''Sexton says Stephenson’s 36-year tenure could’ve ended differently''; The Wichita Eagle; June 4, 2013.]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kansas.com/2013/06/03/2830805/athletic-director-attorney-leave.html |title=''Sources: Wichita State's Gene Stephenson given choice of his exit as baseball coach''; The Wichita Eagle; June 3, 2013. |access-date=June 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609025422/http://www.kansas.com/2013/06/03/2830805/athletic-director-attorney-leave.html |archive-date=June 9, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kansas.com/2013/06/03/2831007/bob-lutz-stephenson-has-final.html |title=''Bob Lutz: Stephenson has final chance to protect legacy''; The Wichita Eagle; June 3, 2013. |access-date=June 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130609025427/http://www.kansas.com/2013/06/03/2831007/bob-lutz-stephenson-has-final.html |archive-date=June 9, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Born in [[Council Grove, Kansas]]; Gene attended [[Guthrie High School (Oklahoma)|Guthrie High School, Guthrie, Oklahoma]], then attended the [[University of Missouri]] with his first year on a football scholarship.  He had better luck playing baseball, however; as a first baseman under legendary coach [[Hi Simmons]], he was an All-American in 1967.  Stephenson served a three-year stint in the [[United States Army]], spending one year in Vietnam.  Gene has two children, Jay and Ginny.<ref name="Stephenson-WSU-Bio">{{Cite web |url=http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=61172&SPID=2844&DB_OEM_ID=7500&ATCLID=648628&Q_SEASON=2006 |title=Gene Stephenson Official Biography; Wichita State University. |access-date=2007-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110520151404/http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=61172&SPID=2844&DB_OEM_ID=7500&ATCLID=648628&Q_SEASON=2006 |archive-date=2011-05-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

His younger brother is [[Phil Stephenson]], who played under him from 1980 to 1983.  Gene and Phil were inducted into the Guthrie High School Hall of Fame in 1994. Gene was a first team all-state honoree in football and baseball in his senior year.<ref name="Stephenson-WSU-Bio"/>

==Head coaching record==
The following is a table of Stephenson's yearly records as an NCAA head baseball coach.<ref name=mvc13mg>{{cite web |title=History & Records |url=http://mvc.org/baseball/baseballrecords.pdf |work=2013 Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Media Guide |archive-date=March 4, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120304043406/http://www.mvc.org/baseball/baseballrecords.pdf |access-date=May 6, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name=wsuyearly>{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.goshockers.com/fls/7500/bsb%20media%20guide/history.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=7500|work=Wichita State Shockers Baseball Media Guide|archive-date=May 6, 2013|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6GPl4W8Tq?url=http://www.goshockers.com/fls/7500/bsb%20media%20guide/history.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=7500|access-date=May 6, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>
{{CBB yearly record start | type = coach }}
{{CBB Yearly Record Subhead
 | name      = [[Wichita State Shockers baseball|Wichita State Shockers]]
 | conference= [[Missouri Valley Conference]]
 | startyear = 1978
 | endyear   = 2013
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season       = [[1978 NCAA Division I baseball season|1978]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 43–30–1
| conference   = 
| confstanding = 
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = 
| season       = [[1979 NCAA Division I baseball season|1979]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 65–15
| conference   = 10–2
| confstanding = 
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season       = [[1980 NCAA Division I baseball season|1980]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 53–12–1
| conference   = 7–1
| confstanding = 
| postseason   = [[1980 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Midwest Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = division
| season       = [[1981 NCAA Division I baseball season|1981]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 56–15
| conference   = 15–1
| confstanding = 1st {{Small|(West)}}
| postseason   = [[1981 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Atlantic Regional at Clemson, SC|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = confboth
| season       = [[1982 NCAA Division I baseball season|1982]]
| name         = [[1982 Wichita State Shockers baseball team|Wichita State]]
| overall      = 73–14
| conference   = 15–1
| confstanding = 1st {{Small|(West)}}
| postseason   = [[1982 College World Series|College World Series Runner-up]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = division
| season       = [[1983 NCAA Division I baseball season|1983]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 55–18
| conference   = 7–1
| confstanding = 1st {{Small|(West)}}
| postseason   = [[1983 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Midwest Regional at Stillwater, OK|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season       = [[1984 NCAA Division I baseball season|1984]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 40–22
| conference   = 7–7
| confstanding = 4th
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = confboth
| season       = [[1985 NCAA Division I baseball season|1985]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 68–20
| conference   = 15–5
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1985 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Midwest Regional at Stillwater, OK|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season       = [[1986 NCAA Division I baseball season|1986]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 45–18
| conference   = 12–8
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = confboth
| season       = [[1987 NCAA Division I baseball season|1987]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 59–20
| conference   = 13–7
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1987 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#West I Regional at Stanford, CA|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = confboth
| season       = [[1988 NCAA Division I baseball season|1988]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 56–16–1
| conference   = 16–4
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1988 College World Series|College World Series]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = national
| season       = [[1989 NCAA Division I baseball season|1989]]
| name         = [[1989 Wichita State Shockers baseball team|Wichita State]]
| overall      = 68–15
| conference   = 13–5
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1989 College World Series|College World Series champions]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[1990 NCAA Division I baseball season|1990]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 45–19
| conference   = 14–6
| confstanding = T–1st
| postseason   = [[1990 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Midwest Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = confboth
| season       = [[1991 NCAA Division I baseball season|1991]]
| name         = [[1991 Wichita State Shockers baseball team|Wichita State]]
| overall      = 66–13
| conference   = 21–3
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1991 College World Series|College World Series Runner-up]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = confboth
| season       = [[1992 NCAA Division I baseball season|1992]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 56–11
| conference   = 18–3
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1992 College World Series|College World Series]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = confboth
| season       = [[1993 NCAA Division I baseball season|1993]]
| name         = [[1993 Wichita State Shockers baseball team|Wichita State]]
| overall      = 58–17
| conference   = 17–3
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1993 College World Series|College World Series Runner-up]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[1994 NCAA Division I baseball season|1994]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 45–17
| conference   = 19–2
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1994 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Midwest Regional at Wichita, KS|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[1995 NCAA Division I baseball season|1995]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 53–17
| conference   = 24–8
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1995 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Midwest I Regional at Wichita, KS|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[1996 NCAA Division I baseball season|1996]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 54–11
| conference   = 24–4
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1996 College World Series|College World Series]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[1997 NCAA Division I baseball season|1997]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 51–18
| conference   = 21–7
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1997 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#South II Regional at Tuscaloosa, AL|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[1998 NCAA Division I baseball season|1998]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 56–7
| conference   = 26–1
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1998 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Midwest Regional at Wichita, KS|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[1999 NCAA Division I baseball season|1999]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 59–14
| conference   = 24–7
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[1999 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Waco Super Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = confboth
| season       = [[2000 NCAA Division I baseball season|2000]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 44–21
| conference   = 24–8
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[2000 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Palo Alto Super Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season       = [[2001 NCAA Division I baseball season|2001]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 42–24
| conference   = 21–11
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = confboth
| season       = [[2002 NCAA Division I baseball season|2002]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 47–17
| conference   = 23–9
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[2002 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Clemson Super Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season       = [[2003 NCAA Division I baseball season|2003]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 49–27
| conference   = 19–13
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason   = [[2003 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Houston Super Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = confboth
| season       = [[2004 NCAA Division I baseball season|2004]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 49–16
| conference   = 28–4
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[2004 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Fayetteville Super Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season       = [[2005 NCAA Division I baseball season|2005]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 51–24
| conference   = 16–8
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason   = [[2005 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Atlanta Super Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season       = [[2006 NCAA Division I baseball season|2006]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 46–22
| conference   = 15–9
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason   = [[2006 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Houston Super Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[2007 NCAA Division I baseball season|2007]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 53–22
| conference   = 20–4
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[2007 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Wichita Super Regional|NCAA Super Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[2008 NCAA Division I baseball season|2008]]
| name         = [[2008 Wichita State Shockers baseball team|Wichita State]]
| overall      = 48–17
| conference   = 19–5
| confstanding = 1st
| postseason   = [[2008 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Tallahassee Super Regional|NCAA Super Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season       = [[2009 NCAA Division I baseball season|2009]]
| name         = [[2009 Wichita State Shockers baseball team|Wichita State]]
| overall      = 30–27
| conference   = 11–7
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason   = [[2009 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Tallahassee Super Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference
| season       = [[2010 NCAA Division I baseball season|2010]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 41–19
| conference   = 15–6
| confstanding = t-1st
| postseason   =
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season       = [[2011 NCAA Division I baseball season|2011]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 39–26
| conference   = 14–7
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| season       = [[2012 NCAA Division I baseball season|2012]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 35–25
| conference   = 12–9
| confstanding = 3rd
| postseason   = 
}}
{{CBB yearly record entry
| championship = conference tournament
| season       = [[2013 NCAA Division I baseball season|2013]]
| name         = Wichita State
| overall      = 39–28
| conference   = 15–6
| confstanding = 2nd
| postseason   = [[2013 NCAA Division I baseball tournament#Corvallis Super Regional|NCAA Regional]]
}}
{{CBB yearly record subtotal
| name       = Wichita State
| overall    = {{Winning percentage|1837|675|3|record=y}}
| confrecord = {{Winning percentage|590|192|record=y}}{{efn|name=records|Incomplete (records unavailable for 1978)}}
}}
{{CBB yearly record end
| overall = {{Winning percentage|1837|675|3|record=y}}
}}

==See also==
* [[List of college baseball career coaching wins leaders]]
* [[Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Wichita State Shockers baseball coach navbox}}
{{1989 Wichita State Shockers baseball}}
{{Baseball America College COY}}
{{Missouri Valley Conference Baseball Coach of the Year navbox}}
{{National College Baseball Hall of Fame}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Gene}}
[[Category:1945 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War]]
[[Category:Baseball first basemen]]
[[Category:Missouri Tigers baseball coaches]]
[[Category:Missouri Tigers baseball players]]
[[Category:Missouri Tigers football players]]
[[Category:Oklahoma Sooners baseball coaches]]
[[Category:Wichita State Shockers baseball coaches]]
[[Category:People from Guthrie, Oklahoma]]
[[Category:United States Army soldiers]]
[[Category:National College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]