Jerry Welsh

Jerry Welsh
Biographical details
BornApril 1950
Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
Playing career
1969-1973Ohio State
1973Minnesota Fighting Saints
1973-1974Mohawk Valley Comets
1974-1975Johnstown Jets
Position(s)Forward
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1975–1995Ohio State
Head coaching record
Overall328-381-56 (.465)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
1983 CCHA Coach of the Year

Gerald Wayne "Jerry" Welsh (born April 1950) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, and college ice hockey head coach at Ohio State University. He is a 2008 inductee of the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame as both a player and a builder.

Career as player

NCAA

Born in Oshawa, Ontario, Jerry Welsh played college ice hockey at Ohio State from 1969-73. In 1971-72, Welsh led the team with 28 goals[1] helping the Buckeyes earn their first and only Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season title and the school's first CCHA tournament title.[2] In three of Welsh's four years at Ohio State, he was voted the team's most valuable player.[3]

Professional

Following college, Welsh played briefly for the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association for his former Ohio State coach Harry Neale in 1973. He spent the next two seasons (1973–75) in the North American Hockey League. In 1974-75, Welsh was alternate captain and second-leading scorer for the NAHL's Johnstown Jets that won the Lockhart Cup playoffs. The team and championship served as the inspiration for the movie Slap Shot.[4]

Career as coach

Following his playing career in minor league hockey, Jerry Welsh, just 25 years old, was hired as head coach at Ohio State in 1975. Welsh brought stability to an Ohio State program that had seen five different coaches in 11 seasons. Under Welsh, Ohio State finished in second place in the CCHA five times in six seasons between 1979 and 1984.[1] In 1983, Welsh was named CCHA Coach of the Year after guiding the Buckeyes to a 21-7-4 conference record and a second place finish (based on points).

Welsh helped elevate Ohio State to its first top ten national ranking in December 1978 and its first No. 1 national ranking for three of four weeks in November 1983 after beginning the 1983-84 season on a 13-game winning streak.[5][6] The Buckeyes finished the 1978–79, 1979–80, 1982–83, and 1983-84 seasons nationally ranked in the top ten.

Despite success on the ice, Welsh was one of the lowest paid head coaches in NCAA Division I ice hockey in 1984.[7] Ohio State was also the only CCHA program without a full-time assistant coach.[7] Welsh's frustration with funding for hockey at Ohio State led him to pursue other Division I coaching opportunities, which never came to fruition.[7]

Welsh was unable to maintain early success at Ohio State. He resigned on February 14, 1995 when Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger informed Welsh his contract would not be renewed at season's end.[8]

Personal

Jerry Welsh married the former Paula Konesny. Together, the couple owned and operated Garden Grove Bed & Breakfast in Union Pier, Michigan until they sold it in 2020.[citation needed]

Head coaching record

Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Ohio State Buckeyes (CCHA) (1975–1995)
1975–76 Ohio State 18-15-1 3-13-0 5th
1976–77 Ohio State 17-20-1 8-7-1 3rd CCHA Semifinals
1977–78 Ohio State 16-18-1 9-11-0 4th CCHA Semifinals
1978–79 Ohio State 25-13-2 15-8-1 2nd CCHA Runner-Up
1979–80 Ohio State 25-10-3 14-5-1 2nd CCHA Semifinals
1980–81 Ohio State 24-12-3 15-6-1 2nd CCHA Runner-Up
1981–82 Ohio State 16-17-1 10-17-1 10th
1982–83 Ohio State 26-9-5 21-7-4 T-2nd CCHA Consolation Game (Win)
1983–84 Ohio State 30-10-1 21-9-0 T-2nd CCHA Consolation Game (Win)
1984–85 Ohio State 19-20-2 13-17-2 6th CCHA Consolation Game (Win)
1985–86 Ohio State 23-19-1 16-15-1 5th CCHA Quarterfinals
1986–87 Ohio State 19-23-1 12-19-1 6th CCHA Consolation Game (Win)
1987–88 Ohio State 10-24-6 7-21-4 8th CCHA Quarterfinals
1988–89 Ohio State 9-26-5 7-20-5 8th CCHA Quarterfinals
1989–90 Ohio State 11-24-5 11-17-4 T-5th CCHA Quarterfinals
1990–91 Ohio State 11-25-4 9-19-4 7th CCHA Quarterfinals
1991–92 Ohio State 12-21-5 8-19-5 8th CCHA Quarterfinals
1992–93 Ohio State 5-30-2 3-25-2 11th CCHA First Round
1993–94 Ohio State 7-23-5 6-19-5 10th CCHA First Round
1994–95 Ohio State 5-22-2† 2-17-2† - -
Ohio State: 328-381-56
Total: 328-381-56

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

† Welsh resigned in January after losing 6 consecutive games.

Awards and honours

Award Year
CCHA All-Tournament Team 1972 [9]

References

  1. ^ a b Darren Everson. "Buckeyes struggle to find niche in hockey". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  2. ^ Columbus Wired. "Ohio State looking to win last ever CCHA title". Columbus Wired. Archived from the original on 2014-03-03. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  3. ^ "Inductees for Hockey". Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  4. ^ Jeff Merron. "Old-time hockey indeed". ESPN. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  5. ^ Associated Press. "Buckeyes Top Hockey Poll". Ludington Daily News. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  6. ^ Jack Falla. "Ohio State Holds A Pair Of Aces". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on March 3, 2014. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  7. ^ a b c Tom Boggie. "College Closeups". Schenectady Gazette. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  8. ^ Mike Kane. "Delventhal May Rebuild Elsewhere". Albany Daily Gazette. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
  9. ^ "2012-13 CCHA Media Guide". ISSUU.com. Retrieved 2014-04-23.
Awards and achievements
Preceded by CCHA Coach of the Year
1982–83 		Succeeded by