There may be no one with a greater influence on Missouri State University athletics than Bill Rowe. First, as a Bears’ baseball coach for 19 years, Rowe won 394 games and led his teams to seven NCAA Division II tournaments. As university athletic director 1981–2008, Rowe managed MSU’s transition to Division I play, as well as its inclusion into the Missouri Valley Conference. MSU teams in all sports made 45 NCAA appearances during his tenure. His programs won five all-sports championships while still members of the Mid-Continent Conference and three while apart of the Missouri Valley. Rowe has been inducted into the Missouri State Hall of Fame and is a member of the National Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.
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