Heidelberg Athletics Hall of Fame
After playing on three state championship teams at Massillon Washington High School, Jim Getz entered Heidelberg College in 1954 knowing what it took to be a winner.
As a football player under Paul Hoernemann, Jim Getz continued to be a part of championship teams. In the four years that Getz was a member of the Student Prince football team, Heidelberg compiled an impressive, 31-4-1 record, a winning percentage of .875. Included among those 31 wins were an OAC Championship in 1954, a 9-0-0 record in 1955, and another OAC Championship in 1956.
Getz graduated from Heidelberg in 1958 and took a position as a junior high teacher in Marion, where he helped lead Marion Harding High School to the State Championship in his first season.
After seven years of teaching in elementary school systems in Marion and Fremont, Getz returned to Heidelberg College in 1965 as head wrestling, head baseball and assistant football coach. Jim was instrumental in developing Heidelberg's wrestling program into a varsity sport after it had been strictly club. And even though the program was in its infancy, Getz led the 'Berg to a 15-8-1 record in over a three year period. Jim Getz's success as a coach was also visible on the baseball field, where his diamondmen posted one of the best records in school history, 16-4 in 1967.
In the fall of 1967, Jim Getz was promoted to Director of Athletics, a position he would hold for thirteen years. During that period, Heidelberg athletics went through many changes. The soccer program developed from a club to a varsity sport, intramurals became a campus wide activity instead of society oriented, and varsity programs for women were started in volleyball, basketball, tennis, track and softball.
Getz's respect extended well beyond the Heidelberg community, however, as he served five years as Chairman of the OAC Athletic Directors. Since leaving Heidelberg in 1980, Getz has served as Principal of Elmwood Local School District Elementary and Jr. High Schools, Superintendent of Wyandot County and Mohawk Local Schools, and Superintendent of Ottawa County Schools, his current position.
Jim and his wife, the former Nancy Gresser, also a Heidelberg grad, live in Tiffin.
(This profile appeared in the 1989 Hall of Fame Banquet program. Jim's wife, Nancy, passed away in 2012.)
