Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ

January 24, 2008
On Campus

Voices of the Hollow: Dave Maurer

Emeritus Professor, Director of Athletics and Coach Reflects Upon Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ Legacy

Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ coaching legend Dave Maurer still has "it."

He may have retired years ago, but make no mistake, Maurer continues to embody the spirit and intensity of a 20-year-old Tiger student-athlete competing for a national championship. The 1987 Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ Athletics Hall of Honor inductee simply lights up a room, captivating visitors with stories about his years as a member of the Tiger athletics family.

Maurer coached track, swimming and golf at various points during his Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ career, in addition to his well-known exploits on the gridiron sidelines. He also served as the university's director of men's athletics and was a professor of health and physical education. Like many other Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ coaches of his era, Maurer did it all.

Clearly, he did it well. After more than a decade as an assistant football coach at Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ, Maurer took the reins in 1969 from National College of Football Hall of Famer Bill Edwards, his mentor. By the time he stepped down after the 1983 season, Maurer was well on his way to induction in the prestigious hall as well. He posted a record of 129-23-3, good for an astounding .842 winning percentage, best among active coaches at that time. Along the way, Maurer directed three teams to national championships (and was an assistant coach for two other national titlists) and two teams to NCAA Division III Tournament runner-up finishes. The Tigers went undefeated three times and won seven Ohio Athletic Conference championships in his 15 years as head coach.

Maurer probably could have talked about his 50-plus years as a Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ Tiger for hours, but hopefully this 12-minute excerpt of the interview will suffice for Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ fans. If not, the complete 18-minute version of the interview can be obtained from Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ's Office of University Communications.

Ryan Maurer
Ryan Maurer
Associate Director of Athletics for Communications, Web Strategy & Content

About Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ

Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ's curriculum has centered on the liberal arts as an education that develops the individual's capacity to think, read, and communicate with precision, understanding, and imagination. We are dedicated to active, engaged learning in the core disciplines of the arts and sciences and in pre-professional education grounded in the liberal arts. Known for the quality of our faculty and their teaching, Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ has more Ohio Professors of the Year than any four-year institution in the state. The university has also been recognized nationally for excellence in community service, sustainability, and intercollegiate athletics. Located among the beautiful rolling hills and hollows of Springfield, Ohio, Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ offers more than 100 majors, minors and special programs, enviable student-faculty research opportunities, a unique student success center, service and study options close to home and abroad, a stellar athletics tradition, and successful career preparation.

Back to top