Longtime Kewps Coach Fewell retires

By RUS BAER of the Tribune’s staff

Published Thursday, November 11, 2004

When Kent Fewell took over as Hickman’s head baseball coach in 1978, Doug Mirts was a senior at the high school.

Fewell

"I’ve seen him for a while," said Mirts, now Hickman’s athletic director. "He hasn’t changed much at all - except maybe a few gray hairs."

Yesterday, Mirts accepted Fewell’s resignation.

Fewell, a 1968 Hickman graduate who has taught and coached in the Columbia school system for 30 years, decided to officially retire yesterday after 27 years leading the baseball program.

Fewell had actually made the decision after last year’s 12-7 campaign but never filed the paperwork until yesterday.

With Fewell at the high school for Blake Tekotte’s letter of intent signing ceremony to attend the University of Miami on a baseball scholarship, Mirts took the opportunity to get Fewell’s signature, as well.

"We had him in the office, so I said, ‘Why don’t you complete this so I can get on with the business of hiring a new coach?’ " Mirts said.

"Kent loves to hunt and fish and travel with his brother. He loves to coach too, but he’s spent a lot of time coaching, and I think now that he’s retired, he’d like to move on to some other things."

The 54-year-old Fewell was inducted into the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002. In 27 years at Hickman, he compiled a 366-201 record with eight district championships, four sectional titles and one state championship.

Fewell has said in the past that Hickman’s 4A state championship in 1990 was a major highlight of his career along with the Kewpies’ first district championship in 1979.

Mirts didn’t have to look long or far to find Fewell’s replacement. Dave Wilson, who has been Fewell’s top assistant since coming to Hickman in 1999, will take over the program.

"We inquired within the school system, and Dave is a very capable person," Mirts said.

Wilson, who is also a varsity assistant on the football team, was the baseball coach for four years at Harrisonville High School before coming to Columbia.

Reach Rus Baer at (573) 815-1787 or rbaer@tribmail.com.