Hall of Fame
- Induction:
- 1977
- Class:
- 1930
Paul Gregory is one of the legendary figures in the history of Mississippi State athletics, having starred as a three-sport athlete before serving as head baseball and basketball coach.
Gregory lettered in football, baseball and basketball at State (then known as Mississippi A&M) and starred on the baseball diamond. He was a right-handed pitcher under C.R. “Dudy” Noble and played two seasons professionally for the Chicago White Sox.
He served in the United States Navy during World War II and rose to the rank of Lt. Commander before returning to Starkville at Noble’s request to coach the basketball team. He coached on the hardwood for eight seasons, ending his tenure with the third-most wins in program history.
In 1957, Gregory was tabbed as head coach of the Diamond Dawgs, where he established the program as one of the SEC’s best. He compiled an overall record of 328-200-1 in his 18 seasons and won four SEC Championships (1965, 1966, 1970, 1971). He was named SEC Coach of the Year four times, which is tied for third-most in conference history.
Gregory’s tenure as baseball skipper is perhaps best known for the program’s first trip to the College World Series in 1971. The Bulldogs put together an overall record of 32-12 and 13-5 in conference play. State won the SEC crown and notched victories over Maryland, Miami and Georgia Tech to punch its ticket to Omaha.
He is a member of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and the National Collegiate Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame.
