'He was great coach and a great man'

Dick Strahm was not a big man, not in stature anyway.But his accomplishments as head coach of the University of Findlay football program made him a giant in the sport."He was a great coach, and a great man," said Dean Pees, who started his coaching career at Elmwood High School before serving as Strahm's defensive coordinator at UF, then moving on to stops at Miami (Ohio), Toledo, Notre Dame, Michigan State and Kent State (where he was head coach) and eventually NFL positions with New England, Baltimore, Tennessee and Atlanta.Named UF's head football coach in 1975, Strahm would go on to compile a 183-64-5 record in 24 years as the Oilers heads coach. He guided Findlay to NAIA Division II national championships in 1979, 1992, 1995 and 1997, with eight other playoffs appearances along the way. His 1997 team remains the only one in school history to finish undefeated, going 14-0.Born and raised in Toledo, Strahm died on Tuesday. He was 92. In an ironic twist, Strahm's wife Ginger also passed away on Tuesday."His record goes without saying. He was a hall of famer," said Pees, generalizing a concept that was solidified when Strahm was inducted into the University of Findlay Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989, the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1999, and the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame in 2004.Strahm was more than a coaching mentor for Pees."I lost my dad in 1975," Pees said."I started coaching with Dick in 1979, and he was such a father figure for me. There were only three of on staff at the time, Dick, Steve Mohr and me. And Dick was such a good father figure for all of us."UF went 2-8 in Strahm's first year as head coach. The Oilers went 6-3 and 6-2-1 and shared Hoosier-Buckeye Conference titles the next two years, then won an outright league championship (8-0), went 11-1 overall and reached the finals of the NAIA Division II playoffs in 1978.The program was growing into a small-college juggernaut, and a 51-6 win over Northwestern Iowa in the 1979 Division II championship game at Donnell Stadium put a national spotlight on the program.Pees said Strahm's approach to the game was innovative."Defensively, we ran an odd-angle slant, the same as Michigan, Ohio, other schools," he said."Offensively, that unbalanced wishbone was a novelty at the time. It was so hard to defend. Dick used to tell us, 'You hang in there for one quarter until we figure out what they (the opponent) are doing. After that hang on, 'cause here we go."Strahm and his staff had a knack for bringing in Division I caliber talent like Nelson Bolden and Ken Agee. One of his greatest strengths, though, was landing local talent and fitting it successfully into his schemes. Liberty-Benton grad Nate Weihrauch was a two-time all-American defensive back for the Oilers. Kris Alge, a highly successful coach in his own right at McComb, was a two-year starter and four-year letterman at quarterback.Jim McIntosh said the 1979 national championship team was the perfect example of Strahm's ability to find and fit just the right pieces together."That team that won the 1979 championship had five starters that had been starters at Leipsic High School," McIntosh said."One of my most cherished thoughts is how Dick worked the smaller conferences. He knew the schools, he knew the parents …. He was always preaching team, and to build a team we had to be like family."McIntosh had been a coach at Fostoria when that head coaching job opened up. He was told he was one of three finalists for a position that went to Dick Kidwell."It was a good move because he (Kidwell) took them to a couple of state championships," McIntosh said.McIntosh knew Strahm from clinics he had attended regarding the wishbone offense, something Fostoria had implemented as well. During a chance meeting, McIntosh inquired if Strahm had any openings on his staff."He said, 'Let's have breakfast', and we did. We talked about the wishbone," McIntosh said."About four hours later he called and said can you come coach the defensive ends and defensive tackles for me, so I did. It was probably the best move of my life."Dick was that kind of guy. He'd sit down and talk and be straight with you. He was a great motivator, a great coach. He was great at solving problems, whether in the game of football or the game of life."He will be missed. He will be remembered in a lot of hearts."Duane Tooman, a front-line anchor on UF's first national championship squad, holds an annual get-together for members of that team."Last Monday, I had the privilege of being up there in Toledo. We had 30-some guys show up," said Larry Alter, long-time editor of The Courier who covered almost every UF football game during Strahm's era."I was at a table with Steve Mohr, Dean Pees, Doug Coate … There were a lot of Strahm stories going around."Alter and Strahm had a close relationship, not only as reporter and coach but as next door neighbors and friends."He called me up one time, after he had a heart attack, and he said, 'C'mon, I have to get some exercise and you're going to be my rabbit,'" Alter said."So every Sunday morning we'd go for a 15-18 minute walk. He'd had time to go over Saturday's game in his head, and I'd bring my tape recorded along and get my (post-game) interview."There was still that unwritten coach/reporter sort of area between us, but it was never an issue. We became good friends, and I think that's because of the trust we had in each other."Alter said the last time he talked to Strahm, whose health in recent years prohibited him from attending Tooman's annual reunion in Toledo, was in February."At the time he said his goal was to reach 92," Alter recalled. "And he did."Strahm received an honorary doctorate from the University of Findlay in 2015 and in 2023, Dick Strahm Champions Field was built on campus as a practice facility.In a release from the University of Findlay, Director of Athletics Jim Givens said, "We are all deeply saddened by the passing of Dick Strahm. Coach, as many knew him, represents an era of excellence for the football program and for this university. He was a ferocious competitor, a dedicated leader, and a spirited ambassador for Findlay who helped cultivate the championship culture we still strive for to this day. While we grieve his passing, we also reflect on his time with gratitude for the impact he made on the lives of so many student-athletes who called Findlay their home. Our thoughts today are with his family as they mourn the loss of an incredible man."John Grindrod, who authored a book about Strahm's life titled, "Just Call Me Coach," penned this note: "Many words come to mind when describing Dick Strahm – master motivator, football tactician, charismatic leader, and fighter of indomitable spirit both on the field and in the many doctors' offices and hospitals that have become as much a part of his life as the August two-a-days that were the harbingers to each new season. But, perhaps, the most apt word to describe Dick Strahm is the simplest, winner."