Gary Rutter
Teacher/Coach | 2013 Hall of Fame
Gary Lee Rutter was born March 24, 1947. He lived with his mother Elizabeth and father Jack and brother Ron in Lisbon,Ohio (eastern Ohio) for 16 years. As a youth, he was interested in sports-football, basketball, baseball, and track. His abilities allowed him much success in these areas. His mother was a Social Studies teacher and her career had a positive influence on him.
In 1963, his father’s engineering career moved the family to Carey,Ohio (central Ohio). By this time, his brother had entered the Army. Gary finished his high school years at Carey High School playing football, basketball, baseball and softball. He also was inducted into the Honor Society. During his stay in Carey, he met his future wife, Sharon. She is the only child of Orien and Ada Wilgus, also of Carey.
After graduating in 1965, he enrolled at Ohio Northern University in Ada, Ohio, pursuing the field of education and coaching. His major was Physical Education with a minor in Science. He played football for one year, joined the Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity, did tutoring and graduated in l969. Other members of his family had attended O.N.U., making this a pleasant tradition.
His first teaching position was in Lucas, Ohio in 1969 where he taught Physical Education and coached football and track. During this time, Sharon graduated from Findlay College in Elementary Education. After their wedding in l970, they moved to Goshen, Ohio where they both found teaching positions in Goshen Schools. During the three year stay, Gary taught high school Biology and was assistant football coach. This experience was happy and a good beginning to a career. The next 6 years were spent teaching and being head football and track coach in northern Ohio at McComb and Attica High Schools and a member of the Lyons Club. He also spent a year at Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio as assistant foot ball and track coach and selling insurance.
In1980, the opportunity arose to return to Goshen High School. It was time for the Rutter children to attend school and as the first experience at Goshen had been a positive one, the family decided to return. The remainder of Gary’s teaching and coaching career was at Goshen High School teaching Life Science, Biology, and Anatomy & Physiology. He was assistant football coach and head track coach. He also completed his Masters Degree at Xavier University.
His three children graduated from Goshen High School and went on to graduate from college. They are Wendy Bauer, special education teacher, April Mummert, interior designer, and Tom Rutter, electronics engineer/master welder. Gary retired from teaching in 2000. He taught for 30 years, coached football for 28 years and was head track coach for 40 years. He retired from track in 2010 and returned as assistant track coach in 2012 and is still involved with the program. He is also enjoying acitvities with his 4 granddaughters, Samantha, Katie, Rebecca, and Chloe and his Sons-in Laws, Jason Mummert and Tom Bauer, and his Daughter-in Law Angela Rutter.
Accomplishments
4 years in Who’s-Who Teachers in America
40 years Boys Head Track Coach, high school
25 years Girls Head Track Coach, high school
2 years Assistant Track Coach, high school
7 year Head Football coach, high school
28 years Assistant Football Coach, high school
1 year Assistant Football Coach, college
4 times Coach of the Year in Track
6 League Championships in Track
3 District Championships in Track
75% winning Track career
10 All State winning students in Track
Many All League track students and State qualifiers in Track competition
Nominated by Mark Slagle