Tiger Hall of Fame
2015 Inductee Joe Suminski
JOE SUMINSKI (Deceased) – 2015 Inductee
- Date of Birth: June 8, 1930 in Erie, PA
- High School Attended: Erie Tech High Graduated: 1949
- High School Honors:All-State NW Pennsylvania 1949; All- Conference 1948,1949; starter North-South All-Star Team and Lions Club Save An Eye All-Star Team in 1949; Ainsworth Award for excelling in Spirit, Mind, and Body.
- College Attended: Purdue University Graduated: 1956
- College Honors: Played varsity football and wrestled; career interrupted by military service in 1952; football in military for Atlanta General Depot, winning MVP 1953; played for Quardeneers, Okinawa, and was First Team Center; selected to play in All-Star Game in Tokyo, Japan, Thanksgiving Day, 1954.
- Professional Athletic Background: Contract with Green Bay Packers in 1956.
- Coaching Experience: Line coach at Clinton, IN, HS 1957-1959; head coach at Hagerstown 1960-1968, with 59-19-6 record; head coach at Seymour 1969-1974, with 27-25-0 record; head coach at Cambridge City 1975-1980, with 22-28-9 record; career head coaching record of 108-70-6; retired from coaching in 1981.
- Coaching Honors: Two back-to-back undefeated seasons in 1961-1962; won 27 games in a row; EIF Conference Champs in 1961; Mississinewa Valley Conference Co-Champs 1962; TEC Conference Champions 1968-1969; Coach of Year 1961-1962 and 1989-1969; Indiana Football Coaches Association 100+ Game Winner Award in 1978. Inducted into the Indiana Football Hall of Fame in May of 2000.
- Outstanding Players Coached: John Fallis, Bob Weaver, Jim Retherford, Randy Gwin, Bill Tinkle, Randy Nicholson, Baron Hill, Jay Hunsucker, and Tim Hinkle; had over 65 All-Conference athletes and several players named to North-South All-Star Game.
- Family: Wife, Kendra; son, Mark; step-children, Bret, Andra, and Helen.
- Coach Suminski passed away February 20, 2001.
