COLUMBIA, Mo. — The University of Missouri Athletics family is mourning the loss of a coach.
Mizzou Baseball announced Monday that pitching coach Brian DeLunas died Sunday night after an extended battle with kidney disease. DeLunas was 46 years old.
DeLunas was a St. Louis area native, playing baseball for Oakville High School and eventually Missouri Baptist University. In 2014 he co-founded Premier Pitching and Performance (P3) in St. Louis. He also coached at CBC.
DeLunas was in his second go-around as a coach at the University of Missouri. He served as a volunteer assistant and pitching coach for Mizzou from 2007-2009. He was hired back at Missouri in 2021.
In-between stints at Mizzou, DeLunas spent four years in the Major Leagues as a bullpen coach and director of pitching development and strategies for the Seattle Mariners from 2018-2020, before joining the New York Mets as a special projects coordinator for the 2021 season.
"Words cannot describe how heartbroken we are in the loss of our friend, Brian DeLunas," Mizzou Baseball head coach Steve Bieser said in a statement. "In the months since his return to Mizzou, he has made an indelible impact on our team through his love of the game and his players along with his inspirational courage off the field. Brian was a tremendous husband, father, brother and coach, and our hearts go out to Johannah, Rory, Maren and the entire DeLunas family as we ask everyone to keep them in your thoughts and prayers."
DeLinas is survived by his wife Johanna, son Rory and stepdaughter Maren.
