Salem football legend Earle Bruce dies

Coached Quakers from 1956-59, maintained close ties thereafter

SALEM --The city lost an honorary citizen Friday with the death of revered former Salem High School and Ohio State football coach Earle Bruce at the age of 87.

Former players said they lost a father figure, a friend and a voice in their head -- an influential man who helped mold them into the successes they became long after the crowds from their days of gridiron glory hushed.

"He was instrumental in teaching us to do the right thing, more than just football," former Salem Mayor Larry DeJane said. "I was so grateful to have the opportunity to meet him and play for him."

DeJane graduated in 1960 and played for Bruce all four years of high school. He and many of his teammates, both in his class and those who came before him, stayed in touch with the mentor who went on to amass a record of 81-26-1 as head coach of the Buckeyes. DeJane last saw him and spoke to him the day after Thanksgiving this past year at the annual OSU-Michigan tailgate party in Columbus. He and fellow teammate Frank Copacia had their picture taken with him.

"He was just an inspiring person," DeJane said.

Word of Bruce passing spread through Salem as former players spoke to each other and even those who didn't play for him paused to share a memory or tell a story about the coaching legend who never forgot the city where he once lived for four years in the 1950s.

Bruce graduated from Ohio State University in 1953 and after working as an assistant high school football coach in Mansfield, he got his first head coaching job at Salem in 1956, finishing four years later in 1959 with an overall record of 28-9.

He still has the highest winning percentage (.757) of any Salem coach.

"I really loved Salem," he said. "That was my first head coaching job."

Bruce came to Salem as a 24-year-old coach in 1956.

"The guy who was in charge of the whole program was Earl Kerr," Bruce said. "He was for sure the superintendent and he was in control. He knew Woody Hayes' father. That was the reason I got the job."

He had gone 42 years without attending a Salem football game until the Quakers hosted Earle Bruce Night during the 2001 season. Bruce was asked if there was any game he would prefer.

"East Liverpool of course," he said. "East Liverpool was our big rival when I was there."

He attended more Salem games after that.

After leaving Salem High School, Bruce went on to winning seasons at Sandusky and powerhouse Massillon before Woody Hayes snapped him up for an assistant coaching job with the Buckeyes. After head coaching jobs at the University of Tampa and Iowa State, he returned as Ohio State's head coach in 1979 and remained there until 1987. Coaching jobs at Northern Iowa and Colorado State followed, then retirement in Columbus.

Even in all those moves, he never forgot Salem. Salem Class of 1959 football player Ray Esterly, who worked for the city as a police officer and then the county as a court bailiff, first met Bruce at Reilly Stadium as the new coach. He never swore at them and would get right in the play with them, showing them how to block. He got the job done.

Esterly invited Bruce to attend the 30th class reunion for the Class of 1959 back in 1989 and he called the football players to tell them he was coming. Some doubted that he would arrive because he was in Florida for an indoor football league game, but Bruce showed up and even got to visit with some of the players from the Class of 1960. He used to show up for Salem Day in Florida, too, when Salemites who lived there in the winter would get together for a party.

Just a couple years ago after Bruce had a slight stroke, Esterly said they had a get-together for him and all the players in the high school cafeteria. They all had a nice visit. That was the last time Esterly saw him.

"He had a real affection for Salem, he loved Salem. He did a lot for Salem," Esterly said.

He served as guest speaker when Salem Regional Medical Center celebrated its 100th birthday during a breakfast at the Salem Community Center. That same day in 2013, Mayor John Berlin issued a proclamation naming Bruce as an honorary citizen of Salem, citing how he returned to the city multiple times to help local groups with their fundraising efforts.

"Coach Bruce was a Salem resident for only four years, but he still maintains close ties to many Salem residents, including many of the Salem Quaker football players he coached from 1956-1959. He also participates in the Southwest Florida Salem Day. The legend that is Earle Bruce will continue for many years to come and we are proud to recognize him as an invaluable asset to our community," the proclamation said.

Bruce appreciated the unexpected honor and talked about his love and respect for the city of Salem and the people he grew to know both during his stay and later in life. He said some of the same attributes he considered important for football were also important for life, such as toughness, teamwork, leadership and discipline.

"He taught us more than football. He meant an awful lot to us," Salem Class of 1960 graduate and football player Joe Julian said.

Julian served under DeJane as city service director and described Bruce as a father figure to members of the football team. He was charismatic and they didn't like to disappoint him on the football field.

He recalled a game against Youngstown East when the Quakers were losing 18-0 at halftime. They walked into the locker room and all Coach Bruce said was "I thought I had a football team," then he went into his office with the rest of the coaching staff.

When it was time to return to the field, the coach came back out, asked if they wanted to play and said "Follow me."

They won the game 19-18.

He also made time to visit with the players in later years. Julian was one of six who traveled to a game when he coached in Colorado, where they were welcomed into his home and got to interact with his college players.

Salem Superintendent Dr. Joe Shivers never played sports for Bruce, but remembered him while he was growing up. Bruce lived in his neighborhood for a little while and he recalled being in the front yard playing football with his brothers when the coach would go by, give them a nod and tell them "keep it up." When he was in the fourth grade at St. Paul School, the coach provided tickets so the kids could go to the games if they wanted.

"I remember those years fondly," Shivers said,

City Service/Safety Director Ken Kenst never played for Bruce either, but he played football for Salem and played for Kent State University with the likes of Hall of Fame Steeler linebacker Jack Lambert.

He recalled Bruce from the Karlis-Lowdermilk golf event hosted each year by Salem grads and former NFL stars Rich Karlis and Kirk Lowdermilk. Bruce signed Lowdermilk to play for Ohio State after seeing him win the state title in wrestling his senior year of high school. Lowdermilk went to play for the Minnesota Vikings.

Kenst first started watching football when he was 6 or 7 years old. One of Bruce's players, Copacia, lived near Kenst and used to get him into the games. Kenst also gave Lowdermilk a surprise when he arranged for Bruce to introduce him during his induction into the Salem Athletic Hall of Fame. He offered his condolences to the Bruce family.

"I think Salem lost a good friend," he said.

mgreier@salemnews.net