Hal Messersmith, 53, of Hoover, Ala., formerly of Ogallala, died July 15, 2013, in his home after a two and half year battle with colon cancer.
He was born on July 25, 1959, at Gering, the son of Mel and Donna Messersmith. The family moved to Ogallala when he was a young child. He graduated from Ogallala High School with the class of 1977 and then graduated from Chadron State College.
At the time of his death, he was the head sand volleyball coach for the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He also served as director of volleyball operations at UAB, along side his wife, Kerry, who was head volleyball coach.
The Messersmiths, who coached together for 12 years and were married for 30 years, came to UAB after coaching together at Georgia Southern University.
He also coached at Chadron State College, Allen County Community College and Fort Scott Community College in Kansas, and Arizona Western College.
In serving as an assistant coach for the UAB volleyball program, he was instrumental in helping the program post four 20-win seasons and qualify for two NCAA tournaments.
In 2011, he assumed a new title when he was named UAB’s first-ever sand volleyball coach. He made history as he coached in the first-ever sanctioned collegiate sand volleyball match when the Blazers hosted Florida State on March 3, 2012.
In his two seasons as sand volleyball coach, Messersmith coached a pair to the AVCA Sand National Tournament each year.
A memorial has been established. Condolences can be sent to Kerry Messersmith, 2319 Ridgemont Dr., Hoover, AL 35244 or [email protected].
Survivors include his wife; two daughters, Meghan (Steve) Gephardt, of Saginaw, Texas, and Brynnley Messersmith of Hoover, Ala.; two grandchildren, Kaiden and Evyn Gephardt; two sisters, Ann Baumgartner, of Denver, Colo., and Gwen (Dr. James) Rezac, of Ogallala; his parents, of Ogallala; aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.
Funeral services were on July 20, in Birmingham, Ala. – See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nptelegraph/obituary.aspx?n=hal-messersmith&pid=166122710#fbLoggedOut