Tom Lichtenberg facts for kids
| Biographical details | |
|---|---|
| Born | July 13, 1940 Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | May 26, 2013 (aged 72) Hudson, Florida, U.S. |
| Playing career | |
| 1959–1961 | Louisville |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 1962–1971 | William Mason HS (OH) |
| 1972–1973 | Purcell HS (OH) |
| 1974–1978 | Iowa State (OC) |
| 1979–1980 | Morehead State |
| 1981–1982 | Notre Dame (OC/QB/WR) |
| 1986–1987 | Ohio State (QB/WR) |
| 1988 | Northern Iowa (assistant) |
| 1989 | Maine |
| 1990–1994 | Ohio |
| 2000 | Bowling Green (OC) |
| 2001–2003 | McCord Middle School (volunteer HC) |
| 2004 | Columbus Destroyers (assistant) |
| 2007–2009 | Drake (assistant) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 26–59–3 (college) |
| Tournaments | 0–1 (NCAA D-I-AA playoffs) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| 1 Yankee (1989) | |
| Awards | |
| Yankee Coach of the Year (1989) | |
Thomas Lichtenberg (born July 13, 1940 – died May 26, 2013) was a famous American football player and coach. He led college football teams as head coach at Morehead State University, the University of Maine, and Ohio University. He also worked as an assistant coach at big schools like Ohio State University and the University of Notre Dame.
Contents
Early Life and Playing Days
Tom Lichtenberg grew up in Lockland, Ohio, near Cincinnati. His parents were Clem and Dorothy Lichtenberg. He went to Lockland High School.
At high school, Tom was a great athlete. He was named "all-city" in both football and basketball. He was also a district champion in the 440-yard run, which is about a quarter-mile. He even pitched for the baseball team!
Later, his family moved to Mason, Ohio. Tom had four siblings: Kathy, Terry, Ted, and Tim. He even coached his younger brothers, Tim and Terry, when they played quarterback for Mason High School. Tim later became a long-time head football coach at Mason High School too.
Tom went to the University of Louisville. He played football there for three years as a fullback. He also played track for one year. In 1962, he earned a degree in health and physical education from Louisville. He later got a master's degree from Xavier University in 1966.
Starting His Coaching Career
Tom began his teaching and coaching journey in 1962. He became the very first head football coach at William Mason High School in Mason, Ohio. He was only 22 years old at the time! He built the football program from the ground up.
His team, the Comets, joined the new Fort Ancient Valley Conference (FAVC) in 1965. Tom led them to win four league titles by the 1970 season. After 10 successful years at Mason, he moved on. He became the head coach at Purcell High School (now Purcell Marian High School) in Cincinnati. After that, he started coaching at the college level.
Coaching in College Football
Tom Lichtenberg coached at many different colleges. He was an assistant coach at Iowa State and later at famous universities like Notre Dame and Ohio State.
He also had three jobs as a head coach for college teams:
- Morehead State University (1979–1980): He coached the Morehead State Eagles for two seasons.
- University of Maine (1989): He led the Maine Black Bears for one year. In 1989, his team won the Yankee Conference championship! He was also named the Yankee Coach of the Year.
- Ohio University (1990–1994): He coached the Ohio Bobcats for five seasons.
Overall, his record as a head coach in college football was 26 wins, 59 losses, and 3 ties.
Later Coaching and Family Life
Even after his main college coaching career, Tom continued to coach. He was an offensive coordinator for Bowling Green in 2000. From 2001 to 2003, he volunteered as a head coach at McCord Middle School. He also coached for the Columbus Destroyers in 2004 and the Drake team from 2007 to 2009.
Tom was married to Sue Ann for 52 years. They had five children and 12 grandchildren.
Tom Lichtenberg passed away in 2013 at the age of 72. He lived in Spring Hill, Florida.
