Legendary Southern Miss baseball coach Corky Palmer dead at 68
Aug. 10—Southern Miss baseball coaching legend Carlton Devan "Corky" Palmer passed away Wednesday afternoon at the age of 68.
The Hattiesburg native began his Southern Miss career as a player from 1974-77. Palmer average .274 at the plate while playing catcher for the Golden Eagles. After concluding his playing career, he made stops at Newton High School as an assistant coach, and Lee and Columbia High Schools as a head coach before returning to Southern Miss as an assistant coach in 1985.
Following a two-year stint as an assistant for the Golden Eagles, Palmer took the reins of the Meridian Community College baseball program from 1987-96, earning a 409-160 record there.
Palmer once again returned to Southern Miss in 1997, serving as an assistant for one year before taking over the head coaching position in 1998. He led the Golden Eagles to a record of 458-281 through his 12 seasons at the helm, culminating in a College World Series appearance in 2009.
Palmer took over the Golden Eagles' head coaching job in 1998 and led the program for 12 years, culminating in the school's only trip to the College World Series in his final year as head coach in 2009. During his tenure as head coach, the Golden Eagles made eight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a streak of seven consecutive years reaching the tournament. In 2011, Palmer was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.
University of Southern Mississippi interim president Dr. Joe Paul issued the following statement:
"The University of Southern Mississippi family mourns the loss today of Golden Eagle baseball coaching icon Corky Palmer. While our hearts break at the notion of his special presence not being with us, we do take solace that he has moved from suffering to a rightful and well-earned eternal peace. I am fortunate to have been blessed to claim Corky as my Southern Miss classmate and my friend. His impact on generations of young men ripples out into the world of baseball and beyond. Corky was definitely one of a kind, and we will honor and cherish his memory here at Southern Miss always. To his wife Debbie, brother Ted and all the Palmer family, and to the many Corky treated as family, we offer our most heartfelt condolences and the University's support."
Funeral arrangements for Palmer are pending.
