Arizona baseball coaching legend Jerry Kindall dies at age 82

Kindall, who coached at Arizona from 1973-1996, won three national championships in Tucson

Arizona Wildcats baseball coaching legend Jerry Kindall has died at age 82 due to complications from a stroke, the UA announced Sunday.

Kindall, who coached at Arizona from 1973-1996, holds the UA’s all-time wins record with an 860-579-7 coaching mark in Tucson.

A three-time national coach of the year, Kindall guided Arizona to three national championships (1976, 1980, 1986), three Pac-10 titles, and one WAC pennant.

Kindall was the first person ever to win a national championship as both a player and coach, as he was a member of Minnesota’s 1956 College World Series team that beat Arizona for the national championship.

Kindall was drafted by the Chicago Cubs and he spent eight seasons in the Major Leagues with the Cubs, Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins.

The Minnesota native was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007 and coached three College World Series MVPs, four Pac-10 South Players of the Year and one Golden Spikes Award winner (Terry Francona, 1980).

Arizona renamed its baseball facility Jerry Kindall Field at Frank Sancet Stadium in January 2004 where the Wildcats played until 2011 before moving to Hi Corbett Field.

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