A fierce competitor with a drive for perfection, F. Davis “Davey” Maurer was more than a coach, administrator or professor during his 40 years at Wittenberg. He meant the world to the young people he mentored – teaching, encouraging and inspiring them in unprecedented ways. Upon learning of his passing on July 30, 2011, at the age of 79, former players, friends and colleagues came together to celebrate his legacy, where winning in life defined each day.
by Ryan Maurer & Karen Gerboth
One of the most beloved Wittenberg leaders and mentors in the illustrious history of the university’s varsity athletics program, F. Davis “Davey” Maurer could also have been called an award-winning storyteller. This is especially true among the nearly 1,450 student-athletes he guided during his 40 years (1955-95) as an administrator in the Department of Athletics, as a professor of health, fitness and sport, and, most notably, as a coach for the Tiger football, swimming, track and field, and golf teams. “He was a great people person, and a tremendous storyteller,” recalled his friend Bob Hamilton ’63 during a special memorial service for Maurer, Aug. 3, in the Pam Evans Smith Arena. “He may have had the most skills in the most areas in terms of teaching, leading people, listening and telling stories.
“Going to Forbes Field to watch baseball growing up. Describing Bill Edwards’ first day of practice in his golf shoes. Telling Woody Hayes to hire Gary Tranquil [class of 1962]. Visiting Chip in Las Vegas. How many times have we heard the cross wide-angle for the touchdown?” Hamilton reminisced. “There is not a day that goes by that Davey Maurer doesn’t somehow influence my life,” added Roger Parker ’73 in an online tribute. “Davey Maurer, outside my father, is the greatest man I have ever known. I have truly been blessed by him, his coaches, and the players that he coached with me. If anyone has taught us at Wittenberg to ‘Pass The Light,’ it was Coach.”
“Coach Maurer, to so many, whether a football player or not, was larger than life, seemingly immortal, and possessing a passion for Wittenberg athletics like no other,” said Mike Senich ’72. “He knew all of us in his days. How he did that I’ll never know.
“Playing tennis throughout my years, I didn’t think for a minute that he even knew who I was or where the tennis courts were, for that matter,” Senich continued. “A few days after winning the Ohio Athletic Conference No. 1 singles championship, I received a handwritten note from Davey congratulating me on my accomplishment and for having the spirit of a Tiger. To say I was stunned is more than an understatement. Davey was, and always will be, the embodiment of the Tiger spirit.”
Maurer’s work on the football sidelines, first as an offensive assistant from 1955 to 1968 and later as head coach from 1969 to 1983, earned Maurer his greatest accolades, including a National College Football Hall of Fame induction in 1991, the first “true” NCA A Division III coach to garner such recognition. Maurer posted a career record of 129-23-3, good for an astounding .842 winning percentage, best among active coaches at that time. His Tiger teams went undefeated three times and won seven Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) championships in his 15 seasons as head coach, to go along with seven OAC crowns during his years as an assistant coach.
“Dave Maurer invented Division III football,” said Steve Drongowski ’74 during the memorial service. “There was no such thing until he succeeded Bull Edwards.”
The attention to detail that drove Maurer to 19 straight wins to start his head coaching career, NCAA Division III Tournament championships in 1973 and 1975, and national runner-up finishes in 1978 and 1979, spilled over to everything he did and everyone he touched at Wittenberg.
“He admitted that he was ‘assigned’ [to coach swimming] without any credentials. But as the song lyric goes, ‘by your students, you’ll be taught,’” said Gil Belles ’62. “Every year that I was associated with the swimming team, there were always several top-tier members who had the technical expertise to improve everyone else. And Davey was brilliant enough to absorb their suggestions, process them for the team, and grow into a compassionate and dedicated coach.
“He was an inspiration for the entire team, motivating each swimmer to improve and fulfill his personal aspirations,” Belles added. “I thought of Davey many times as I muddled through some coaching experiences over the past decades. And I was able to thank him a couple of years ago. I was astonished at his vivid, snapshot-like memories of specific swimming meets and often individual events that occurred 50 years ago.”
A native of Duquesne, Pa., and a 1954 graduate of Denison University, where he excelled at quarterback for the Big Red, Maurer had a knack for getting the most out of the players he coached and the students he taught at Wittenberg. He was all about team, and he cared deeply for the individuals involved in the teams he led.
“As a freshman quarterback in 1967, Coach Maurer taught me the tenacity of winning, of perfection, of execution and of life,” said Rocky Alt ’71. “I was intimidated by his coaching but loved his toughness. As a player for him, I admired his passion and dedication to the game. He was relentless in his desire and his preparation.”
His players also consistently describe him as a brilliant tactician who taught them to work hard, persevere and believe in themselves. “He was a man’s man, a true father image, tough and demanding, yet compassionate and loving,” Alt said. “I am a better person for him having coached me. I will never forget him!”
“Much of the personal success I’ve enjoyed is a reflection of his work ethic and that constant drive to be at your best when your best is needed,” added Jake Kreilick ’83. “I lost seven games in four years, played on a runner-up national championship team, won two OAC conference championships and made the All-OAC team as an offensive guard my senior year due to his leadership. Ultimately, his intensity and his dedication to the cause – no matter what he chose to pursue – are the two values he instilled in me and for that I am forever grateful.”
“He wasn’t a coach; he was flat-out the best teacher we ever had,” Drongowski said. “Dave’s lessons didn’t have a clock on them. He taught all the time, all year, wherever he went and whenever he could.” “It is the duty of all of us, as he would instruct us,” Hamilton added, “to pass it on.”