Gene Etter has been the varsity baseball head coach at Baylor School since Gerald Ford was president, and he was recently honored on the occasion of his 40th season.
Coach Etter, along with his wife, Eddie, who has been the unofficial “assistant coach” for a number of years, were honored before the McCallie game on May 2 with a plaque presented by headmaster Scott Wilson.
The son of legendary former Central High and Baylor football coach E.B.
“Red” Etter, coach Etter has turned in lineups for over 1,300 games and has won more than 840. The team this season is currently 20-9 and has advanced to the state Division II quarterfinals beginning Friday against Pope John Paul II of Nashville.
In the plaque presentation, Mr. Wilson pointed out that the mild-mannered coach Etter has never been ejected from a game.
Considered a good strategist and teacher of basic baseball fundamentals, coach Etter won Division II state championships in 2003 and 2006 and was runner-up in 2002 and 2008. He has also hung 19 region pennants.
Coach Etter took over the Baylor baseball reins before the 1975 season, replacing David Longley, who left to enter the business world. Coach Etter over the years has also coached junior high basketball and football. He served as defensive coordinator under his father on some outstanding Baylor football teams in the 1970s and was later an offensive coordinator.
He also taught math and computer-related classes over the years at Baylor before retiring from the classroom.