Bob Walsh, winningest boys basketball coach in Lorain County history, dies at 87

The magnitude of what Bob Walsh meant to Lorain County basketball is massive. His absence will be impossible to measure. Walsh, who coached five area teams during a 42-year coaching career, died Saturday night at the age of 87. His legacy shaped the history of Lorain County basketball along with the lives of numerous players and coaches. "He had a tremendous impact on countless kids," said John Szalay, who played for Walsh on the 1974 Clearview state championship team and then led the Clippers to 401 wins in his 29 years leading the program, many with Walsh as his assistant. "He'd take kids who a lot of things weren't going right for them and he would give them confidence and teach them the proper way to do the right thing. Not only a great basketball coach, he helped out a lot of kids and adults, too, in the coaching profession. He was always willing to share information. He came back and sat on the sidelines for me in his early 80s. I was still learning from him. He had a great influence on me both on the court and off the court as well." Walsh retired in 2008 after compiling a 643-301 record with Clearview, Oberlin, Vermilion, Elyria Catholic and Elyria. He's enshrined in the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame (1988), the Elyria Sports Hall of Fame (2011) and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame (2016). He's the only person to coach both the Elyria and the Elyria Catholic boys basketball teams, recording a combined 130 wins. Walsh was named coach of the year three times by the Associated Press and twice by United Press International. "Personally, I've known him since I played in high school," said Elyria coach Brett Larrick, who coached under Walsh for three seasons before taking over the program and would later coach Walsh's grandson, Ryan. "I'd watch those games at Oberlin when I was growing up as a kid. He was just a fixture of Lorain County basketball. As a player, you knew who he was and as a coach you knew who he was. You looked up to him in both aspects. He's in all of the hall of fames for a reason. Such a legendary coach. It's a sad day for Lorain County basketball." Walsh's career started in 1959 as an assistant with the Clippers, taking over the program in 1966 and leading it to a 241-104 record during his 16 years, including the 1974 Class A state championship. "It was an honor," Szalay said. "I grew up around the Clearview community, going to games from elementary school on. I couldn't wait to play for Coach Walsh. Not only because of his success, but just the man that he was. And then when I got to play for him, I wasn't disappointed, that's for sure. He required a lot out of you, but he never asked you to do more than you were capable of doing. He taught you how to do things right, then instilled confidence in you. "I remember when we made the state finals. Before we went down to Columbus, he told us to gather and said we don't even need to talk about it. We just need to keep doing what we're doing. It's a big show to be there, but we just have to play the way we play. And that's what we did. The state tournament is a great, great memory. He was there all the way. He just gave us confidence. He never bragged about himself. Never took the credit. He was just part of the team and he made us all feel important." In 1982, Walsh left Clearview to take over at Oberlin. He went 199-61 in his 11 years there, winning the 1986 Class AA state championship. "He always pushed me," said Ray Ellington, a member of Oberlin's state championship team. "When I thought I was good, I wasn't good enough. He always pushed us to greatness. That's not just my individual experience, I think that's what he did for everybody that was in his life. He will be missed and I love him to death." Walsh went on to coach at Vermilion, Elyria Catholic and Elyria, spending six years each with the Sailors and Panthers. He led Vermilion to a 73-59 record and went 80-57 at Elyria Catholic, leading the Panthers to the state semifinals on two occasions. In his final three years coaching the Pioneers, he went 50-20, leading Elyria to its first district championship in 31 years. "I never thought about being a coach and once I was appointed the opportunity to coach I thought about everything I learned through Coach Walsh and applied that to my mantra," said Elyria girls basketball coach Tony Brown, who played for Walsh at Oberlin from 1987-90. "I never thought about being a coach as a player. And going to college I never anticipated being a coach at the end of the rainbow. Everything I've learned through Bob Walsh allowed me to be who I am as a coach." Contact Chris Sweeney at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on X. Bob Walsh: Through the years Clearview YEARS: 16RECORD: 241-104 (.698) 1966-67&emsp;&emsp;17-21967-68&emsp;&emsp;19-41968-69&emsp;&emsp;8-121969-70&emsp;&emsp;16-41970-71&emsp;&emsp;16-51971-72&emsp;&emsp;17-41972-73&emsp;&emsp;22-21973-74&emsp;&emsp;24-2*1974-75&emsp;&emsp;19-41975-76&emsp;&emsp;15-51976-77&emsp;&emsp;9-111977-78&emsp;&emsp;6-141978-79&emsp;&emsp;12-91979-80&emsp;&emsp;19-41980-81&emsp;&emsp;14-91981-82&emsp;&emsp;8-13 Oberlin YEARS: 11RECORD: 199-61 (.765) 1982-83&emsp;&emsp;18-51983-84&emsp;&emsp;20-31984-85&emsp;&emsp;20-31985-86&emsp;&emsp;27-1*1986-87&emsp;&emsp;24-11987-88&emsp;&emsp;20-51988-89&emsp;&emsp;19-41989-90&emsp;&emsp;18-61990-91&emsp;&emsp;5-161991-92&emsp;&emsp;12-101992-93&emsp;&emsp;16-7 Vermilion YEARS: 6RECORD: 73-59 (.553) 1993-94&emsp;&emsp;10-111994-95&emsp;&emsp;10-111995-96&emsp;&emsp;15-81996-97&emsp;&emsp;9-121997-98&emsp;&emsp;14-91998-99&emsp;&emsp;15-8 Elyria Catholic YEARS: 6RECORD: 80-57 (.584) 1999-2000&emsp;&emsp;15-82000-01&emsp;&emsp;13-92001-02 &emsp;&emsp;22-32002-03 &emsp;&emsp;20-52003-04 &emsp;&emsp;7-142004-05 &emsp;&emsp;3-18 Elyria YEARS: 3RECORD: 50-20 (.714) 2005-06&emsp;&emsp;16-72006-07&emsp;&emsp;17-62007-08&emsp;&emsp;17-7 * State champion ** Years: 42** Career record: 643-301 (.681)** Ranks 11th all-time in the state** Retired as all-time top winning coach in Lorain County** State titles: 2 (Clearview 1974, Oberlin 1985)** Regional titles: 2** District titles: 11** Conference championships: 19 Notable ** Broke Elyria High's 31-year drought without a district title in 2008. ** Took Elyria Catholic to two straight regional finals in 2003 and 2004.