From its inception to the present, Massillon football has had an incredible run of success. The journey of this team, or the Massillon Tigers, started in 1903. Massillon is a remarkable name in the USA for its unbelievable records like 880 wins, 290 losses, and 36 ties.
Massillon Charisma
Coach Paul Brown, who is one of the greatest and most successful coaches of all time, Because of his extraordinary coaching, Massillon was placed on the national map.
Paul Brown was the only person who created the greatest show in high school football with swing band leader George “Red” Bird, who followed him to the Cleveland Browns. According to statistics, the Massillon Tigers professional football team was among the pioneers of the game in the late 20th century.
The Early Days
The Massillon high school football team got its reward, like a mascot, from the previous skilled Massillon tigers. Massillon High School’s first football team was recognized in 1891.But each player had to support his own equipment, as nobody donated it.
There was no specific instruction for the players. They got their instructions from college boys on vacation or from other sources. Games were displayed on an ordinary spot, not on a well-decorated spot, and the fans of the game enjoyed standing.
Later, the high school started to support its team and encourage the students in the early 19th century. Massillon High School’s football team was officially formed in 1904.Then the coach, Ralph Hap Fugate (April 13, 2003), won the championship for Northeastern Ohio.
Massillon High School engaged with the high school athletes’ association in 1916. The Tigers defeated the new Canton Mckinley High School by a score of 21-0 in John Snavley’s first game as head coach.
The Paul Brown Story’s Length:
When Paul Brown was nine years old, his family quickly shifted to Massillon from Norwalk, Ohio. He described Massillon as “a wealthy, thriving steel town with a healthy blue-collar work ethic” and “some fine sports teams,” including the Massillon Tigers, one of the first professional football franchises in 1917.
He took over the coaching responsibilities for Massillon football. He led the team twice, and the teams were 16-1-1.
Massillon was 1-9 and looked for a new coach. Paul Brown was just 24 years old when he was selected as the Massillon High School football coach.
His coaching produced an excellent winning percentage of 90.9%.He coached the team as its head coach from 1932 to 1940, and his teams were 80-8-2. He won six state championships and four national championships.
The contribution of Paul Brown to Massillon cannot be denied. He was an extraordinary coach for Massillon. Under his coaching, the team achieved the top ranking and spread good will throughout the world.
The team reached its highest peak of success under his coaching. Actually, he kept the town of Massillon on the map.
The golden statue still bears his name.Still, his name is brightening the sky over the USA. His tenure as coach is known as the “golden era” of Massillon Tigers.
Charles V. “Chuck” Mather:
Massillon football authorities wanted to appoint coaches from out of their county at this stage. Actually, they wanted another super star like Paul Brown to lead their super team. Charles V. Chuck was appointed as the head coach of the team, or “tiger team.” Coach Mather was always careful about his team. Under his coaching, the Tigers played dominantly. Ohio high school football won six state championships and three national championships just within six years, and that was amazing. He first invented the use of IBM cards to evaluate players’ performances.
He also wanted to give the audience a better experience of what is going on in the field, which is why he experimented with closed-circuit TV. His age is also called the “golden era” of Tigers football, like Paul Brown. His record in Massillon was very fantastic, and that was 57-3 (95%). However, in 1954, he resigned from his position and enrolled at the university.
Tom Harp:
Topp Harp is another famous name in Massillon high school football. After Charles V. Chak Mather was appointed as the head coach of the team, One interesting thing happened during his interview. Someone commented that he was too young for the Massillon job. But he responded very wisely, noting that at age 26, Paul had been appointed coach of the Massillon, and at the same time, he was two years older than Paul. Ultimately, he started at Massillon. Under his guidance, the success percentage was 89.5% and ingenuity was 17:2. Moreover, he was also a legendary coach for the Tigers.
Lee Tressel:
Following top harp, the selection committee named Lee Tressel as Tigers head coach.He made the Tigers sideline observers at the beginning of his new journey to Massillon. One player has one sideliner, and both of them are inseparable from each other. Coach Tressel’s tenure with this team was brief—only two years. Though his coaching period was two years in Massillon football, his performance was notable. His performance was 16-03-0, and his percentage was 84.2%, which kept him at the standard level.
Leo Strang:
Leo Strang got an appointment in Massillon in 1958. Within a few days of his joining, he brought a unique style, the goulash system,” and he vanished the old style. He was a pioneer in developing the leaping tiger emblem and decals on helmets. Leo continued his coaching career from 1958–1963. The percentage was (54.8-8.1, or 87.1%). He won three state championships and two national championships. Finally, after a successful coaching career, Leo strang left Massillon in 1964.
Earle Bruce:
Early Bruce was an exceptional and legendary coach at Massillon who was the only undefeated coach. His team won two state championships and had a 20-0 winning record. His 100% winning record at Massillon is unbelievable.
Bob Seaman:
At this stage, after Earl Bruce, the selection committee selected Bob Seaman as coach. He started perfectly, as we saw from the statistics (4-5-2), and this performance was in the opening year.
In the final game, his team did not achieve the title and lost the game by a score of 7–6, and that was actually heartbreaking. After all, his average performance was 69% on 2009-09-20, and the performance was not up to the mark.
Bob commings:
Following Bob Seaman, the selection committee joined Bob Commings.His magical scene was found in the first season of his coaching, as the result was 7-2-1. His team won by 10-0 and became the state champions in 1970. In 1973, his team was 8-1-1, and finally Bob Comiskey’s teams were awarded the championship.
Other great coaches:
Next time, the selection committee will appoint step by step some great coaches such as Chuck Shuff, Mike Currence, John Maronto, Lee Owens, Jack Rose, Rick Shepas, Tom Stacy, and Jason Hall. All of their coaching periods were excellent, and their game results were also satisfactory.
Final Thought:
Massillon football is ranked third all-time in winning percentage in high school football. The team is still maintaining its glory, fame, and prestige with the highest peak of success.
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