University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Former Baseball Coach Art Reichle Passes Away
May 25, 2000
Art Reichle, who coached the Bruin baseball team for 30 years, died Tuesday in Melbourne, Fla., of congestive heart failure. He was 86.
Reichle, who was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998, became head coach of the Bruins in 1941. After one year he entered the Army and served until 1946, at which time he resumed coaching at UCLA. In 1969, the Bruins, led by future major leaguer Chris Chambliss, won the Pacific-8 title and earned UCLA's first appearance in the College World Series. Reichle retired as coach after the 1974 season with a 747-582-12 record and was succeeded by Gary Adams, one of his former players.
As an athlete, Reichle played football, rugby and baseball at UCLA from 1934-36. He began his coaching career as an assistant for the Bruin baseball team and one of the players during his tenure was future Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson.
Reichle was an assistant athletic director at UCLA until 1980. He continued to teach at clinics and assist high school coaches in Ventura County following his retirement.
Reichle moved to Florida in 1989.
Reichle is survived by his wife Ruth, sons Arthur Jr. and Richard and daughter Denise Margarite.