Frank Misuraca, whose hall of fame career included a five-decade run as baseball coach and later as athletic director at Jesuit High School, died Thursday. He was 86.
Misuraca led the Blue Jays’ baseball program from 1967-81, winning four Catholic League titles, back-to-back Class AAAA state championships in 1979 and 1980 and American Legion state titles in 1975, 1979 and 1980. The 1980 Legion team also advanced to the World Series.
A dozen members of the 1980 title team would go on to play college baseball, and two of Misuraca’s players, Jim Gaudet and Will Clark, reached the major leagues.
Misuraca also had stints as an assistant football coach and a state championship-winning gymnastics coach at Jesuit.
Misuraca doubled as Jesuit’s AD for his final three seasons as baseball coach, when he stepped away from both roles to become the school’s assistant to the president. In 1986, he returned to the AD chair and remained in that position until his retirement in 2007. He was twice named Louisiana Athletic Director of the Year.
His efforts as a coach and administrator landed Misuraca in the Louisiana High School Hall of Fame in 2001, the Allstate Sugar Bowl Greater New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 and Jesuit’s Hall of Honors in 2016. He has also been inducted into the Louisiana American Italian Sports Hall of Fame and the New Orleans Prep Hall of Fame.
In addition to his on-field accomplishments, Misuraca left his mark in multiple ways on the Jesuit program – including the pinstripe uniforms Jesuit continues to wear a half-century after he introduced them, the formation of the Blue Jay Athletic Club and the way teams traveled to and from games and to out-of-state tournaments.
“His legacy is greater than his legend,” said David Moreau, who succeeded Misuraca as both baseball coach and AD.
Misuraca attended Nicholls High School and played four seasons as a third baseman at Southeastern Louisiana University, where he earned NAIA All-America honors. He was inducted into SLU’s Hall of Fame in 1976.
Jesuit announced on its website Friday afternoon that services for Misuraca would be held Saturday, Dec. 21, at the school’s Chapel of the North American Martyrs. Visitation begins at 10 a.m., followed by the funeral mass at noon.
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