ABOVE) Rick Shaner in 2000 with Varsity basketball page spread from the Buccaneer yearbook. The yearbook is online at BHS Wall of Fame

By Bill Herr
Bluffton Icon columnist

Who was the greatest coach of any sport at Bluffton High School? I don't claim to be the best qualified to make that choice, but I am one of the oldest, having seen most sports teams at the high school since 1946 when my brother Don played football and basketball. I attended Bluffton Exempted Village Schools for 21 years and after college came back and taught at Bluffton for 19 years. I love Bluffton Schools and I have a shirt I wear proudly that has the words, "Pirate Pride is Forever."

Who was the greatest coach? Was it Darlie Stuckey? She coached the 1927-1928 girls basketball team, which was undefeated at 18-0 and Allen County champions. Was it Dwain Murray? He coached the 1928-1929 boys basketball team. The team won their first 23 games–the longest winning streak in BHS history–before losing by one point to Akron St. Mary's in the Class B state championship game. ▶︎

Another candidate for greatest coach is Kent Cotterman. He coached the 1946 football team to be the first undefeated and un-tied team. They were 8-0 and won the Western Buckeye League title at 6-0. He also coached the basketball team that same year. That team won 17 straight games, won the WBL at 6-0 and finished with an 18-1 mark, losing only to St. Rose in a controversial game in which St. Rose's best player got 5 fouls but continued to play. I was only 8 years old, but I remember seeing both those great Pirate teams play.

In the interest of space I'm skipping decades in which I'm sure there were great teams and coaches, but another fine coach I will mention is Bill Lodermier. He was head football and wrestling coach. His 1981 wrestling team won the state championship. They were the first Pirate State Champions in any sport.

Trying to choose the greatest of all time is a subjective chore. I have narrowed my choice to three outstanding coaches that I will write about in separate columns. They are Rick Shaner (Track and Field, Boys basketball), Dennis Lee (Football, Girls basketball), and Steve Bruskotter (Track and Field, Cross Country).

Rick Shaner was born to Roy and Martha Shaner. He went to Jackson Center High School. He was a point guard in basketball, ran the mile and two mile and 800 in track, and played third base in baseball. The school didn't have football. When I asked him which sport was his favorite, he said "any sport that was in season." He said that his parents and Bluffton College coaches Glen Snyder and Roger Bixel influenced him the most. Bixel coached him in basketball his freshman year, and Snyder the next three years. He said "those coaches were great at organization and treated people the right way."

Rick earned an undergraduate degree in elementary education at Bluffton College and a master's degree in counseling from Dayton University. After graduation he taught 5th grade at Bluffton Elementary for 13 years. One of his students was my son Jonathan, who shared that "Mr. Shaner was a good teacher, was nice, and played 4-Square with us at recess." Rick then moved up to the high school where he was the guidance counselor for 17 years.

When I asked when he became interested in coaching, he related that "in college it struck me that maybe I could coach some." After graduating from college he was hired as Jr. High basketball coach at Beaverdam, which was where Bluffton Middle School was located at the time. He also was an assistant in Jr. High football under coach Roger Bixel one year. His coaching experiences include assistant positions in track and basketball at the high school. He became the Pirate head boy's basketball coach for 10 years at two different times. The first was in the mid-to-late 70's, and the second was in the mid 90's to 2000. In the time between he focused on family, helping his wife Pat raise their three children, Marc, Jamie, and Jennifer. Rick and Pat have four grandchildren, Ellie, Keagan, Micah, and Ethan.

After retiring from BHS, Rick and Pat served at Echo Ranch Bible Camp in Alaska. In the summer he helped with maintenance at the camp and drove boats. Pat did the cooking for 200 kids. In the winter they went to the city of Ketchikan, Alaska. While there Rick enjoyed working with youth, helping them to grow spiritually. After retiring from Echo Ranch Bible Camp after 2012, they lived in Ketchikan until recently when they moved back to Bluffton.

Rick's most successful basketball team was in 2000 when the team finished 19-4. After beating Crestview on a Friday night, winning the Northwest Conference title outright with a 10-0 record, the team played the next night against a powerful Liberty-Benton team that was 17-0 and ranked third in the state. The Eagles were favored but weren't prepared for Bluffton’s team that brought aggressiveness and confidence to the game. The Pirates never fell behind, but fans grew nervous in the 4th quarter as LB's best 3-point shooter got hot and started a furious rally. He scored 27 points in the second half and made yet another shot with 12 seconds to go, bringing the Eagles to within 3 points.

But Pirate Michael Kingsley was fouled on the in-bounds and calmly sank both free throws. LB's shooter hit another three but time ran out and Bluffton prevailed, 69-67. I was at that game and our fans went wild at the exciting finish. I recorded a replay of that game by Ch. 4 and when Coach Shaner was interviewed afterwards, he said the team treated the game as though it were a tournament game. This was an end of the season strategy he used in preparing for tournament games. That year the team won their first two tournament games to win the sectionals, and then defeated a strong Patrick Henry team in the district semi-final 66-49. The Pirates lost to a strong defensive LCC squad 58-37 in the final.

Coach Shaner said that was one game he would have liked back. Rick gave credit for the success of his teams to his assistant coaches. He said, "I had great assistant coaches -- Eric Garmatter, Dave Brauen, Kevin Gratz, Chad Shutler, and Ken VonLehmden. They had done previous things with all my kids. I was reaping the benefits of their hard work." I contacted a few of his former players to get their perspective. Eric Garmatter became a successful J.V. boy's basketball coach and head Lady Pirates basketball coach for years. In a Bluffton News article, he said, "Rick Shaner influenced me the most as a coach because he coached me when I was young."

Matt Schweingruber was coached by Rick in track (hurdles) and in basketball. He shared, "Coach Shaner was one of the most influential role models in my high school years. He is a genuine person, a great coach and fun to be around. We only won three games before the sectionals. Then we won two tournament games before losing to Fort Recovery. Those were the funnest few weeks of my athletic life. Coach tailored strategy to our different strengths. Before every tournament game, our team went to Rick and Pat's house for a spaghetti dinner and then watched the movie "Hoosiers.' No one can say anything bad about Mr. Shaner. He was caring, always wanted to help."

When I asked Rick about the team that Matt was on he said,"That was a fun year for me and the other coaches. There were no high expectations. They came to practice every day and soaked up everything we taught. They had a great attitude – it was just fun. They were a great group of kids. I knew them from other sports."

Kurt McKibben was a guard on the 2000 team. He said of Coach Shaner, "He was always well-prepared. He always had the other team scouted out. He knew how to play them, how to execute."

Ryan Dunlap was also a member of that team. These are the words he wrote about the coach:
"Coach Shaner was a good coach and has great passion for the game of basketball. However, it wasn't always about the X's and O's that made Mr. Shaner a good coach. He is even a better person. Coach always set a good example for his players. We always knew if we needed anything we could count on him for help and guidance. Still even to this day we all know he is there for us. Coach Shaner taught us more than just basketball, he prepared us for the game of life."

In the past year Rick and Pat, who are now senior citizens, both substituted in Bluffton Schools. Pat subbed in the elementary school and Rick subbed at all three levels —elementary, middle and high school. I asked Rick why he and Pat were still accepting challenges in education. I know from experience that substituting in a classroom where you don't know the students can be challenging. This is how Rick responded: "In our work, we always worked with kids. In the substitution role, we get to know the kids and then we can start relationships. As coaches and teachers, we work with special kids. You are always building relationships. That is what you have in coaching, building relationships."

Rick Shaner–Coach Shaner–excelled in building relationships with his students and athletes. And he checked all the boxes for being a great coach. He always had his teams well prepared to execute against their opponents. He has a sense of humor and it was important that his teams have fun. He was well organized and treated his kids in the right way. He cared deeply for his kids and had their backs and still does. The result is lasting relationships that influence young lives forever.

Bill Herr taught high school mathematics and science for 32 years. After retiring from teaching, he began a nursing home ministry. He served as chaplain at a nursing home for 24 years. He has since written columns relating to sports memories from high school experiences and columns relating to experiences at the nursing home.