Legendary Davenport Central baseball coach Bill Freese passed away Saturday at the age of 96.

Freese coached the Blue Devils for 25 years from 1960-1985, with 518 wins, and four state titles. Twice he was named National Coach of the Year. He also was a member of the Iowa Baseball Hall of Fame.

Central named its baseball field after Freese last June.

Coach Colin Gisel and longtime friend Tom Souhrada spoke with Our Quad Cities News about the legacy Freese leaves behind..

“The kids he coached all loved and respected him. When they named the diamond after him this summer. All kinds of former players came out,” Souhrada said, “They were there for him and even the umpires who worked his games came. Not often do you find umpires who love coaches after all those years. He was so well-respected in everything he did.”

He will be remembered for “The way he connected with his players,” Gisel said. “Anytime I talk to players from that era, they talk about the respect they had for Coach Freese – how he taught them to play the game the right way. Hopefully that is something we can keep with us and continue to honor his legacy at Central High School.”

A celebration of life service will be set later, Souhrada told Our Quad Cities News.

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