Obituary at Legacy.com
Services Update (Feb. 27): Visitation is Tuesday, March 3 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Soller-Baker Funeral Home in Lafayette. Funeral mass is Wednesday, March 4 at 2 p.m. at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Lafayette.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Longtime Purdue baseball coach, alumnus and athletics department administrator Dave Alexander passed away early Wednesday at the age of 79.
Alexander was the head coach of the Boilermakers from 1978 to 1991, winning 407 games. It was a program record that stood until 2012. After his coaching career, he served as an administrator with Purdue Athletics until 1994 and also enjoyed a long run as a Major League Baseball scout for the Seattle Mariners.
Alexander Field, the home of the Boilermakers since the fall of 2012, was named in honor of his parents, Purdue alumni John and Anna Margaret Ross Alexander. Dave provided the lead gift for the project.
Coach Alexander's return to Purdue in the late 1970s led to a program revival. The following decade was one of the most successful in team history. The Boilermakers won 30 games six times in the 1980s, setting single-season records for victories four times – 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1986. The 1986 team's 37 wins stood as the record until the 2012 Big Ten championship season. Purdue enjoyed eight winning seasons under Alexander.
The 1987 team broke through and qualified for the program's first NCAA Regional, winning 36 games and finishing second in the Big Ten's East Division for the third straight year. The 1987 Boilermakers went 19-3-1 at Lambert Field and were also the runner-up at the Big Ten Tournament.
From 1985 to 1987, Purdue compiled a combined 106-76-1 record. His tenure as head coach also ended on a high note with a 34-win season in 1989 and 35-win campaign in his final year (1991).
Alexander played for Purdue from 1960 to 1962, earning a bachelor's degree in 1962 and a master's in 1964. He played semi-pro ball for more than a decade and was a four-time selection to the all-state tournament team. Alexander was Purdue's starting first baseman in 1961 and also pitched for the Boilermakers.
Throughout his retirement years, he maintained a presence around the program and athletics department. He mentored many former Purdue players well after they left the university. Doug Schreiber, his second baseman from 1983 to 1986, went on to become the Boilermakers' head coach (1999-2016) and eventually eclipsed Alexander's wins record.
Coach Alexander was recognized at the program's inaugural First Pitch Dinner in January 2019. Numerous friends, former players and athletics department staff members contributed to a video recognizing his relationships across campus and throughout the Greater Lafayette community. A No. 24 jersey was presented to his brother Steve that night. To pay homage to Coach Alexander, former head coach Mark Wasikowski chose to no longer issue No. 24, a practice that continues under current skipper Greg Goff.
Alexander recruited and coached 22 MLB Draft picks, including future big leaguers Archi Cianfrocco, Rico Rossy, Matt Kinzer and Jermaine Allensworth.
Coach Alexander also taught history while coaching both baseball and basketball at Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis. He led Chatard to 235-87-1 record and six city championships over his 11 seasons at the helm. Chatard's baseball field is named Dave Alexander Field and was the first high school field in the state of Indiana to feature a full artificial turf playing surface. Coach Alexander also made a generous gift to the school for the project.
He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 and 1991 recipient of the Golden Diamond Amateur Baseball Coach of the Year Award.
Coach Alexander is survived by his brother Steve and his longtime companion Carol Baker.
Plans are being made for a special recognition of Coach Alexander as part of the program's annual alumni day event, which is slated for Saturday, May 9. A moment of silence is also planned for Thursday's Purdue-Indiana men's basketball game at Mackey Arena.
Services are planned for March 3 and 4 in Lafayette. Visitation is Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Soller-Baker Funeral Home. Funeral mass is Wednesday at 2 p.m. at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Lafayette.
Services Update (Feb. 27): Visitation is Tuesday, March 3 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Soller-Baker Funeral Home in Lafayette. Funeral mass is Wednesday, March 4 at 2 p.m. at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Lafayette.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Longtime Purdue baseball coach, alumnus and athletics department administrator Dave Alexander passed away early Wednesday at the age of 79.
Alexander was the head coach of the Boilermakers from 1978 to 1991, winning 407 games. It was a program record that stood until 2012. After his coaching career, he served as an administrator with Purdue Athletics until 1994 and also enjoyed a long run as a Major League Baseball scout for the Seattle Mariners.
Alexander Field, the home of the Boilermakers since the fall of 2012, was named in honor of his parents, Purdue alumni John and Anna Margaret Ross Alexander. Dave provided the lead gift for the project.
Coach Alexander's return to Purdue in the late 1970s led to a program revival. The following decade was one of the most successful in team history. The Boilermakers won 30 games six times in the 1980s, setting single-season records for victories four times – 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1986. The 1986 team's 37 wins stood as the record until the 2012 Big Ten championship season. Purdue enjoyed eight winning seasons under Alexander.
The 1987 team broke through and qualified for the program's first NCAA Regional, winning 36 games and finishing second in the Big Ten's East Division for the third straight year. The 1987 Boilermakers went 19-3-1 at Lambert Field and were also the runner-up at the Big Ten Tournament.
From 1985 to 1987, Purdue compiled a combined 106-76-1 record. His tenure as head coach also ended on a high note with a 34-win season in 1989 and 35-win campaign in his final year (1991).
Alexander played for Purdue from 1960 to 1962, earning a bachelor's degree in 1962 and a master's in 1964. He played semi-pro ball for more than a decade and was a four-time selection to the all-state tournament team. Alexander was Purdue's starting first baseman in 1961 and also pitched for the Boilermakers.
Throughout his retirement years, he maintained a presence around the program and athletics department. He mentored many former Purdue players well after they left the university. Doug Schreiber, his second baseman from 1983 to 1986, went on to become the Boilermakers' head coach (1999-2016) and eventually eclipsed Alexander's wins record.
Coach Alexander was recognized at the program's inaugural First Pitch Dinner in January 2019. Numerous friends, former players and athletics department staff members contributed to a video recognizing his relationships across campus and throughout the Greater Lafayette community. A No. 24 jersey was presented to his brother Steve that night. To pay homage to Coach Alexander, former head coach Mark Wasikowski chose to no longer issue No. 24, a practice that continues under current skipper Greg Goff.
Alexander recruited and coached 22 MLB Draft picks, including future big leaguers Archi Cianfrocco, Rico Rossy, Matt Kinzer and Jermaine Allensworth.
Coach Alexander also taught history while coaching both baseball and basketball at Bishop Chatard High School in Indianapolis. He led Chatard to 235-87-1 record and six city championships over his 11 seasons at the helm. Chatard's baseball field is named Dave Alexander Field and was the first high school field in the state of Indiana to feature a full artificial turf playing surface. Coach Alexander also made a generous gift to the school for the project.
He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 and 1991 recipient of the Golden Diamond Amateur Baseball Coach of the Year Award.
Coach Alexander is survived by his brother Steve and his longtime companion Carol Baker.
Plans are being made for a special recognition of Coach Alexander as part of the program's annual alumni day event, which is slated for Saturday, May 9. A moment of silence is also planned for Thursday's Purdue-Indiana men's basketball game at Mackey Arena.
Services are planned for March 3 and 4 in Lafayette. Visitation is Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. at Soller-Baker Funeral Home. Funeral mass is Wednesday at 2 p.m. at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Lafayette.