Steve Webber, who led the Bulldogs to the 1990 national championship in baseball, died Saturday afternoon at his home in Atlanta after a lengthy illness. He was 74.
Webber, the winningest baseball coach in UGA history, totaled 500 victories between 1981 and 1996. His teams averaged 32 victories a season over 16 years.
A native Iowan and graduate of Southern Illinois University, Webber took two Bulldogs teams to the College World Series, marking the first two appearances for the program.
Credit: UGA
Credit: UGA
His 1987 squad won the SEC regular-season title and earned a spot in the CWS. In 1990, their run to the crown culminated with a 2-1 win over Oklahoma State. It was the first national championship for the SEC in baseball. Webber was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1987 and consensus National Coach of the Year in 1990.
Webber was inducted into UGA’s Circle of Honor in 2018. At that time, he was the fifth among all 79 inductees who were not UGA alumni. This group included Dick Copas, men’s golf coach (inducted in 2006); Vince Dooley, head football coach and athletic director (inducted in 2004); Liz Murphey, women’s golf coach and senior women’s administrator (inducted in 2001); and Suzanne Yoculan, women’s gymnastics coach (inducted in 2014).
Credit: UGA
Credit: UGA
Webber started his coaching career in 1974, when he served as pitching coach at Georgia Southern under head coach Ron Polk. In 1976, he was hired to do the same at the University of Florida, where he remained until 1981 when he landed the head coaching job at Georgia.
In 1997, Webber moved into professional baseball. He worked with five different organizations including the Yankees (1997-2003), Padres (2004-2012), Astros (2013-14) and Braves (2016) before retiring in Atlanta.
Webber is survived by Pam, his wife of 51 years, daughter Ashley (husband Joseph), and grandchildren Bo, Whit and Bess.
