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I heard that Erv Huether passed away Tuesday at the age of 93. Although he lived a full life, I am saddened by his death and have to admit I shed a tear. Having it been 29 years since he coached at SDSU, It's my opinion that most don't realize the impact, influence and respect he garnered at SDSU, in South Dakota and throughout the nation.
Many are impressed by the current success of SDSU baseball at the D1 level. I'm not..SDSU has had a rich traditon prior with Coach Huether and his hand selected predessor Mark Ekeland. Only after coach Ekeland becoming ill did the program have difficultities for a brief period. Scheduling was different back in the day and Erv Huether played about one third of his schedule against D1 opponents. My first collegiate games were against Kansas State, Wichita State, and Oral Roberts. In the Huether/Ekeland era if you lived in SD/SW MN and you were baseball player, South Dakota State is where you went.
My personal relationship with Coach Huether actually bloomed when I was done at SDSU. When I began coaching, I was the Teener coach in Brookings and he would come and watch my games. Later I became a collegiate coach and Erv would always make a point to come and watch some of my games. Reminiscing, my last real conversation I had with Coach Huether was both of us sitting on the side of a hill after I had gotten kicked out of a game at San Diego State. Whenever someone heard I was from SDSU they would ask me if I knew Erv.When he attended national conventions in his retirement he was treated like royality by all the big names in college baseball.
Erv Huether did not only bleed JackRabbit Blue, but gave me and many others the opportunity to do the same. Tomorrow I'm going to my baseball field, stand at home plate and have a moment of silence at 2:00 Cental Time.
If you can't attend his funeral, I would hope you do the same for one of the truly great people/contributors to the state of South Dakota, South Dakota State University and the game of baseball.
Quincey Noble
'84 South Dakota State University
Many are impressed by the current success of SDSU baseball at the D1 level. I'm not..SDSU has had a rich traditon prior with Coach Huether and his hand selected predessor Mark Ekeland. Only after coach Ekeland becoming ill did the program have difficultities for a brief period. Scheduling was different back in the day and Erv Huether played about one third of his schedule against D1 opponents. My first collegiate games were against Kansas State, Wichita State, and Oral Roberts. In the Huether/Ekeland era if you lived in SD/SW MN and you were baseball player, South Dakota State is where you went.
My personal relationship with Coach Huether actually bloomed when I was done at SDSU. When I began coaching, I was the Teener coach in Brookings and he would come and watch my games. Later I became a collegiate coach and Erv would always make a point to come and watch some of my games. Reminiscing, my last real conversation I had with Coach Huether was both of us sitting on the side of a hill after I had gotten kicked out of a game at San Diego State. Whenever someone heard I was from SDSU they would ask me if I knew Erv.When he attended national conventions in his retirement he was treated like royality by all the big names in college baseball.
Erv Huether did not only bleed JackRabbit Blue, but gave me and many others the opportunity to do the same. Tomorrow I'm going to my baseball field, stand at home plate and have a moment of silence at 2:00 Cental Time.
If you can't attend his funeral, I would hope you do the same for one of the truly great people/contributors to the state of South Dakota, South Dakota State University and the game of baseball.
Quincey Noble
'84 South Dakota State University
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