Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame

Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame

The Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame is the shrine which all Ohio University Bobcats greats aspire to enter. Since 1965, inductees to the Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame are inducted during banquet ceremonies the evening prior to a designated home football game. Inductees are also recognized during a special halftime ceremony at the football game the following day. Inductees are also honored into perpetuity as their portrait and accomplishments are displayed in the Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame currently located in the Convocation Center.

Beginning with the class of 2000, the Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame will receive at least three and no more than five new inductees.[1]

Kermit Blosser

On October 20, 2006, Ohio Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt announced the renaming of the Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame to the Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame.

Blosser was a multi-sport athlete at Ohio, competing in both football and wrestling. He helped the football team to a 24-1-1 record and three straight Buckeye Athletic Association titles during his varsity career. As a sophomore end, he played his first game as a Bobcat in the 1929 season-opener at Indiana. The next week, Blosser started against West Liberty State, a game that was the first-ever game played at newly built Ohio Stadium, now known as Peden Stadium. Blosser was also a member of the Ohio wrestling team and became the university's first national champion in 1932 when he won the 191-pound wrestling title.

Following his playing days, Blosser was a successful high school basketball coach for Glouster (OH) High School and later at Columbus South High School. During World War II, Blosser gave up his high school coaching job to serve as a gunnery officer aboard a warship in the Pacific. In 1946, Blosser returned to his alma mater and served as an assistant coach in basketball, football and wrestling. With Blosser on staff, the Bobcat football team won its first Mid-American Conference title in 1953 and the basketball team earned four conference championships.

In 1947, Blosser was named the head coach of Ohio's golf program despite having never played the game. With Blosser at the helm, the Bobcats earned 18 MAC titles, the first in 1951 behind future PGA Champion Dow Finsterwald. Ohio won the title by 24 strokes and went on to win nine of the next 10 MAC Championships. Blosser continued coaching after his retirement from teaching in 1977 and retired from his coaching post in 1988.

Blosser was inducted into the Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame's second class in 1966 and was a member of the charter class of the NCAA Golf Coaches Hall of Fame in 1980. He was inducted into a total of 11 different halls of fame, including the MAC Hall of Fame in 1988. Blosser was commemorated for his 42 years of service by the conference office, who named the conference's golf coach of the year award after him.

Even in retirement, Blosser continued to impact Ohio Athletics as a special assistant to the department's director. To his final days, he came to his office in the Convocation Center almost every day and attended as many home athletic events as he could.

Blosser was born February 1, 1911, and was raised in Enterprise, Ohio. He died February 18, 2006 at the age of 95.

Members by induction year

1965

1966

1967

1968

1969

1970

1971

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

References

  1. ↑ Ohio to Rename Hall of Fame After Kermit Blosser :: Legendary coach and student-athlete honored

External links