Barry Myers

Barry Myers loved baseball and spent more than a half a century sharing the all-American sport with young athletes. He coached hundreds of baseball players across four colleges and universities, including 26 seasons as Head Coach at Mercer University. On Thursday, Coach Myers died at his home in Macon, Georgia, at the age of 78. Born in New Martinsville, West Virginia, Coach Myers was recruited by Marshall University to play baseball as a pitcher, under head coach Bill Chambers, and football as a defensive back. When he completed his studies, he returned home to coach baseball, basketball and football for three years at his alma mater, Magnolia High School. He once said that he chose coaching as a profession because of his love of athletics and for the opportunity to work with young people. In 1962, he began his college coaching career as a Graduate Assistant at Florida State University, under head coach Danny Litwhiler. After spending two years at FSU, he served three years as an assistant coach at Miami Dade Junior College, where he was part of a national championship team. Coach Myers received his first head coaching assignment at Jacksonville University, then a College Division school, and became the youngest head college baseball coach in the nation. While serving at Jacksonville from 1967 to 1973, he compiled a 191-88 and 3 record and led the Dolphins to their first two NCAA Tournaments, one each in the College and University Divisions. During Coach Myers' tenure, Jacksonville had three All-America selections and four MLB Draft selections. In 1974, Coach Myers became Associate Head Baseball Coach at Mercer, an NCAA Division I program, under Claude Smith. He remained in that position until 1978, when Smith retired and he was named Head Coach. While at Mercer, he became the university's all-time winningest coach, recording 663 wins. Included in those totals were Atlantic Sun Conference championships in 1979, 1981 and 1983. He also won Divisional titles with the Bears in 1982, 1984 and 1997. He was named Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year in 1979, 1981, 1983 and 1994. Coach Myers was an advocate of the "student-athlete" concept and was exceptionally proud of his teams that annually had high graduation rates. More than 95% of his student athletes earned their college degrees. During his tenure, Mercer had 13 MLB Draft selections, including a high of three in both the 1983 and 1990 drafts. Coach Myers retired from Mercer after the 2003 season. Coach Myers was inducted into the Mercer Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002 as well as the Macon Sports Hall of Fame in 2013. Coach Myers was predeceased in death by his mother, Mary Rosalie Myers, and his father, Ingrim Myers, Jr. He is survived by his son, Robb Myers, of Forsyth, and brother, Mike Myers, of Macon. A memorial service for Coach Myers will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, August 17, at Hart's Mortuary at the Cupola, 6324 Peake Road, Macon. A reception will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that gifts be made in his memory to the Barry Myers Scholarship Fund at Mercer University, Advancement Office, 1501 Mercer University Dr., Macon GA, 31207. Register online at www.hartsmort.com. Hart's Mortuary at the Cupola has charge of arrangements.