The Pioneer nation is mourning the loss of DU Athletics Hall of Fame baseball coach Jack Rose. Rose passed away on Saturday, Nov. 3 at the age of 86.

Rose was the last baseball coach at Denver and coached for 36 years. He retired as the school’s all-time winningest coach with 785 wins during his career. When he retired in 1997, he was ranked fifth on the NCAA’s Division II list of winningest coaches in history. Rose coached the Pioneers to the Division I postseason five times, and the NAIA playoffs eight times. 31 of his former players signed professional contracts, and at the time of his induction into the DU Hall of Fame in 1997, this was almost half of the 67 professional athletes in the history of Denver.

Rose was recognized for his hard work nationally as he was named the District VII Coach of the Year in Division I in 1970. In 1989, he was honored as the Colorado Intercollegiate Baseball Association Coach of the Year. He served in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Advisory Committee for over a decade while serving as the director of Olympic tryouts for the 1984 Olympic Game.

Rose received a Master’s in education from the University of Washington, attending through a tennis and ROTC scholarship. When the US Air Force Academy was at Lowry Air Base, during its Colorado Springs construction, Rose was apart of the first instructor class, leaving the service as a Captain.

“Jack was a wonderful man who had a tremendous impact on the University of Denver as a coach, as an educator and as a person,” Director of Athletics Ron Grahame said. “On the diamond he was a very successful coach who produced many pro prospects, continuing to build a tradition off success that continues to grow today. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jack’s family as they mourn a loss, but also celebrate a great life lived by a great Pioneer.”

The funeral services will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 10:30 a.m., MST at Fort Logan. Rose will receive full military honors.