FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgc.edu

Former SGC Athletic Director, Coach Passes

Former South Georgia College Athletic Director and baseball coach George Cook, who guided the Tigers to two Junior College World Series appearances, passed away this weekend. Cook was a member of the SGC faculty from 1962-1975, and he returned to SGC to serve as Director of College Relations in 1981 after leaving Georgia Southern University.

A Guyton, Ga., native, Cook played baseball for Georgia Teachers College (now Georgia Southern University) and graduated in 1950. He taught and coached at several high schools in south Georgia before returning to Statesboro in 1961 to pursue a graduate degree. After earning his M.Ed. in 1962, Cook joined the faculty and coaching staff at South Georgia College and in 1964 he was appointed Athletic Director and Division Chair of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. He also served as head baseball coach for the Tigers and guided the program to five consecutive state championships, three regional championships, two district crowns and two Junior College World Series appearances. The Tigers’ baseball stadium is named the George A. Cook Stadium in his honor.

For his coaching efforts, he was honored as the Southeast Coach of the Year for back-to-back years in 1969 and 1970. He was also named the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Coach of the Year four times (1966, ’67, ’68 and 1970). For seven years, he served as the national president of the NJCAA College Baseball Coaches Association. In 1988 he was inducted into the National Junior College Athletics Association Baseball Hall of Fame to recognize the success in his coaching career. His name was added to the Georgia Southern Baseball Wall of Fame in 2002.

Cook was preceded in death by his daughter, Carol. He is survived by his wife, Sara Betty, and son, Kevin, who teaches at Georgia Southern University. Visitation is set for Sunday, October 16th, from 1:30-3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church on Main Street in Statesboro. A memorial service will follow at 3 p.m.

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is located in Douglas, Ga. The college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty. With over 20 majors and transfer opportunities, South Georgia College provides the finest education possible to the citizens of its service area.