Shippensburg University Athletics

Galen “Gene” Linn earned four varsity letters as a starter in baseball and three varsity letters in basketball for the Raiders from 1956-60. He is a classic example of the type of player whose performance is measured beyond the realm of mere statistics.

In basketball, Linn was a three year starter at point guard, leading the team in assists from 1958-60. During his sophomore year he was an integral scorer, averaging over 10 points per game to go along with his team-leading assists. He was a co-captain of the 1958-59 basketball team that established a school record for victories after finishing with a 14-8 record.

One year later, Linn helped Shippensburg compile an 18-5 record as a senior that stood as a school record for victories that would last 22 years. The team’s .783 winning percentage remains a school record. SU led the PSCC standings with 12 wins but was nine points behind Indiana  (9-2) in the Saylor Points System that was used to determine a league champion. Shippensburg had defeated IUP 74-68 that season at Indiana.

In baseball, Linn started at shortstop and was the leadoff batter for all four years he played for coach Tom Crist. He was especially known for his defense and scrappiness. Linn was one of the team leaders in on-base-percentage, runs scored and stolen bases and SU had winning records every year he was on the team. Linn set the SU single-game record for walks with four in the first game of a doubleheader with IUP in 1957.

SU won the conference championship in 1958, with Linn earning raves for his defensive play.  He served as a co-captain in 1959. After playing four years, Linn came back to be an assistant coach during the 1960 season.

Linn is a native of Shippensburg and was a high-school starter in football, basketball and baseball. He was the shortstop for the undefeated and league champions baseball team his senior year.

After graduation, Linn went into teaching and served as a guidance counselor. Linn received a master’s degree in Guidance and Counseling in 1967 and eventually retired in 1993. While an educator, Linn was a high-school basketball coach for 17 years and a baseball coach for three years. His Newport High School basketball teams won two league championships and he was named Perry County Coach of the Year in 1978. 

Linn met his wife, Carolyn Swartz Linn, at SU and they have been married for 50 years. They have two children, Jonathan and Jill, and five grandchildren.