Jerry Davitch

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Jerry Davitch (born 1941?) is a former college football coach. Since 2004 he has served as the superintendent of schools in Richland Township, just northeast of Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He served in a similar capacity for eight years (1996-2004) in nearby Conemaugh Township in Davidsville. He was previously the principal of CT High School and its head football coach.

Davitch played on the offensive line at nearby Johnstown High School. He was the right guard (5'10", 168 lb.) on an undefeated championship team in the fall of 1958. He graduated in 1959 and headed west to play his college football at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Early in his coaching career, Davitch was the head coach at Salpointe High School in Tucson from 1969-72. His record was 28-12 (.700) in the four years, including a 9-1 season in 1971. Davitch was an assistant coach at Air Force for five seasons, from 1973-77.

On January 11, 1978, Davitch was hired as the head coach at the University of Idaho of the Big Sky, replacing Ed Troxel. Davitch coached the Vandals from 1978-81, where he instituted the veer option on offense. In 1980 the improving Vandals went 6-5 and were picked as one of the top five teams in Division I-AA by Sports Illustrated for the 1981 season. The Vandals then posted a disappointing 3-8 record and finished winless in the Big Sky, losing their final six games. (Idaho State would win the Big Sky and the Division I-AA title in 1981). Davitch compiled a record of 15-29 (.341) in his four seasons in Moscow. He was fired several days before his final game and was succeeded by a 34-year-old Dennis Erickson, hired on December 11th.

Davitch later returned to Pennsylvania and was the head coach of Greater Johnstown High School, from 1985-90, (37-23-3, .611), winning a title in 1988. He was later the head coach at Conemaugh Township High School in Davidsville.

[edit] References

Sports Illustrated, 31-Aug-1981, p.64

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Ed Troxel		 University of Idaho Head Football Coach
1978–1981		 Succeeded by
Dennis Erickson
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