as well. In 1978 and 1982, he was elected College Baseball Coach of the Year in Mississippi, and was runner-up in 1985. Under his direction, 20 Delta State players earned All-American honors, 20 earned Academic All-American honors, 49 earned All-Gulf South Conference honors, 23 continued their baseball careers onto the professional level, and 40 former players coached in the high school and college ranks. In addition to coaching at Delta State, Ferriss also served at various times as athletic director and director of the DSU Foundation. In February 2008, Ferriss welcomed back author John Grisham to Delta State's campus for an athletic fundraiser. Grisham, a Mississippi native, began his career path "thanks to coach Ferriss" after Ferriss had cut Grisham from his team in the fall of 1978. In Grisham's "The Kindest Cut," the author details his time at Delta State and how coach Ferriss handled the difficult task of cutting the would-be outfielder. Also in 2008, Ferriss received an honorary Doctor of Public Service degree from Delta State. Namings The baseball field at Delta State University is named Ferriss Field in his honor. The "Boo" Ferriss Baseball Museum – located at the Robert L. Crawford Center at Delta State University – was named after him. Ferriss Trophy In the fall of 2003, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame announced its sponsorship of an annual Mississippi Collegiate Baseball Player of the Year award, and that the trophy would bear Ferriss' name and likeness. The award is officially called the C Spire Ferriss Trophy, including the name of corporate cosponsor C Spire Wireless. Personal life Ferriss lived with his wife, Miriam Izard Ferriss, in Cleveland, Mississippi. They had two children, Dr. David Ferriss and Margaret Ferriss White, and two grandchildren. He was a member of Covenant Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Cleveland. He died on November 24, 2016, in Cleveland. References Further reading University of Southern Mississippi (1997). Oral history with Mr. David M. Ferriss External links , or Retrosheet Dave "Boo" Ferriss page at The Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame Dave "Boo" Ferriss page at the Delta State University Sports Hall of Fame Dave "Boo" Ferriss page at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame 1921 births 2016 deaths American League All-Stars United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II Baseball players from Mississippi Birmingham Barons players Boston Red Sox coaches Boston Red Sox players Delta State University Greensboro