Hall of Fame
Two-sport standout George “Buck” Hardee, who went on to become one of the top baseball coaches in the state, was inducted into the Campbell Athletics Hall of Fame on Oct. 6, 1990. Hardee attended Campbell from 1948-49 and starred in both football and baseball.
A native of Whiteville, Hardee batted. 657 for the Whiteville American Legion team that advanced to the national finals and was declared the Legion batting champion.
He graduated from Whiteville High School in 1944, and played baseball at North Carolina before World War II and a stint in the Navy interrupted his career. After completing his military obligation, Buck entered Campbell, where he batted .400 for the ’48 baseball squad and received all-state recognition on the football field as the Camels’ team captain in 1949.
He moved on from Campbell to East Carolina, where he also was a sports star and received his B.S. in teaching in 1952.
Hardee gained his most fame as a baseball coach. His teams enjoyed unprecedented success during his tenure at Wilmington Post 10 and New Hanover High School. From 1959-84, Hardee served as head coach of Wilmington’s American Legion Post 10 baseball team and led his clubs to a 524-267-3 record that included five state titles and a pair of runner-up finishes. His 1970 American Legion squad advanced to the American Legion World Series.
Coach Hardee began his teaching and coaching career with New Hanover County in 1953. After assisting his mentor, Coach Leon Brogden, in baseball and football at NHHS, Hardee held the position of Head Baseball Coach for 24 years, where he won 13 conference championships while compiling an astounding 396-133-1 record. Two of his teams advanced to the state finals, and the municipal field in Wilmington – where New Hanover plays baseball – was named in his honor in 1984. Along with teaching U.S. History, he also served as Athletic Director for the Wildcats. Retiring in 1988, Hardee was elected to the New Hanover County School Board.
In addition to the Campbell Hall of Fame, Hardee was inducted into the American Legion Baseball Hall of Fame (1970) and N.C. High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame (1994). Hardee died on May 9, 2005 at the age of 78.
