Michael was born in Fannin County on January 19, 1953 to Fred Hurst of Ducktown, TN and Maxine Mull
Hurst of Blue Ridge, GA. Michael is survived by his loving wife of 29 years, Carol A. Hurst, step-children
Molly Moore and husband Billy, Daren Painter, bonus daughter Wendy Reeling and husband Scott,
grandchildren Caleb Moore, Sarah Beth Moore, Hunter and Ryan Reeling, sister Freda Hurst, niece
Amanda Shilling and husband Brad, nephew Steven Stoll and wife Kelle, nephew Alan Stoll, great nieces
Fiona Stoll, Hadley Shilling, Maddy Stoll, Emily Wade and Megan Wade. In addition to these family
members Michael is also survived by his baseball family and the countless men he coached and
mentored over the years. Michael graduated from Cross Keys High School then played baseball
collegiately at Mercer University-Atlanta, where he was a NAIA All-Region Selection. After a stint as a
high school coach in Maryland, he returned to his native state in 1990 as an assistant coach at Dekalb
College. He then joined the Georgia State University Baseball Staff as Assistant Coach in 1992 and was
elevated to Head Coach in 1994. He served as Assistant Competition Manager and Field of Play
Coordinator for Baseball in the 1996 Olympic Games. He concluded his collegiate coaching career at
Georgia State in 2006.
He was inducted into the Georgia State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016, two years after being inducted
into the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame Class of 2014.
Michael’s love for baseball started when he was just 6 years old while playing for Clairmont Little League.
He was on the baseball field in some capacity until the last year of his life. He loved the Tennessee
Volunteers with a great passion and could talk about them with as much knowledge as he did baseball.
His dad instilled in him the love of the Vols, bluegrass & country music, and all sports but especially
baseball. Together, his parents taught him to love the Lord and the importance of family.
There is so much to say about a man who lived life to the fullest. His zest for life continued even while
bravely fighting cancer for the past 20 years. Off the baseball field, he enjoyed spending time with his
family. He loved being outside, visiting the beach & mountains, and especially doing the 2 step with Carol
in their living room. He told great stories, most of which were based on his many adventures in life. He
never met a stranger and touched the lives of so many. He was loved and adored equally by his family
and baseball community. He gave back to the sport that inspired his life and in turn continues to inspire
future generations. Words can’t even express how deeply he will be missed.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following:
A close family friend has set up a fund to assist Michael’s widow, Carol, with immediate needs.
To donate: https://gofund.me/7aed6fec
You can also donate to the Georgia State University baseball program in Michael’s memory. Coach Hurst’s passion for the Panthers went far beyond wins and losses. He had an incredible influence on the program, countless student-athletes and the baseball community. Our goal is to name the GSU Baseball Clubhouse after Coach Hurst and honor his legacy for years to come. Donations can be made to GSU Baseball online by visiting www.giving.gsu.edu/baseball. If you receive an error message when visiting, please copy and paste the above address into a new browser window. Please mail checks payable to “GSU Foundation/baseball” to: Attn: GSU Foundation, P.O. Box 2668, Atlanta, GA 30301.
Memorial information to follow at a later date.
Go Vols!
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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