Terry King – (1995)

When it comes to motivating athletes and encouraging them academically, the versatile Terry King takes a back seat to no one.

King, whose name has been synonymous with excellence in athletics in Lorain, ever since his formative days as a Little League baseball player for the Elks Club in the early 1960’s, later went on to excel in baseball, football, basketball and softball on both national and local levels.

At Lorain High School in the mid-60’s, Terry King was called, “Mr. Everything,” winning 11 varsity letters while participating in baseball, basketball and football. Among the many awards he received for athletic excellence were two-time All-Buckeye Conference honors as quarterback in football. In 1967-68, his senior year, Terry was named to the Associated Press All-Ohio first team in football, and was named winner of the Del Pollack Award.

Terry’s athletic ability earned him an athletic scholarship in football to West Virginia University after being sought by numerous colleges from the east to the west coast. It turned out to be a wise decision as he became a three-year varsity letterman under Coach Bobby Bowden, now head football coach at national grid power Florida State University. King was selected team captain of the Mountaineers’ Peach Bowl championship team his senior year. Terry also won All-East Player of the Week honors during the regular season.

Following graduation from WVU, Terry returned to hometown Lorain where he accepted the dual role of teacher-coach at Longfellow Junior High School, coaching basketball, wrestling and soccer. Not ready to give up active participation in sports, he continued to perform brilliantly in the Lorain Class A traveling baseball league, leading his team in RBIs and home runs, and on Lorain’s softball sandlots.

However, it was at his alma mater, Lorain High School, where Terry King made his greatest impact. Over the last several years, he held the positions of head coach of the Steelers’ baseball, wrestling and football programs, in addition to being responsible for monitoring the academic progress of his athletes. If the need arose, Terry saw to it his athletes received tutoring assistance.

This past football season (1994), his fifth as the Steelers’ head coach and 22nd overall in coaching, King led LHS to a 7-3 record, their first winning season since 1981, and a second place finish in the Erie Shore Conference with a 6-1 record. The Steelmen finished the 1993 campaign with a 2-8 record.

For his effort, King earned recognition as the Erie Shore Conference and Lorain County High School Football Coach’s Association “Coach of the Year.” In addition, he was named the Northeast Ohio Division I District “Coach of the Year” by The Associated Press.

In their final season ever in football, the Steelmen defeated longtime arch-rival Elyria, 24-17, in the 100th meeting between the two schools. The victory was also the 500th in Lorain High’s illustrious history.

Terry King’s motivation was never more apparent than it was in the halls of LHS prior to that final Lorain-Elyria gridiron meeting.

“Kids were walking up to our players and actually congratulating them for the great season we were having,” King said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen that at Lorain High, and it was a great feeling. We’ve been basement dwellers for so long, that it was nice to be out of the hole.”

Coaching athletic victories wasn’t the only thing Terry prided himself in. In addition, he also takes great pride in the athletic success of his son, Dan King, a senior and state wrestling champion at Lakewood St. Edward High School.

Now a 6-1, 285-pounder, Dan King is headed to Bowling Green State University this fall on a football scholarship. He recently won the Ohio Division I 275-pound class state wrestling title, decisioning Terrence Upshaw of Huber Heights, 8-6, in the championship match. Terry had the proud honor of presenting his son with his championship award following the match.

Terry and his wife, Sherry, who is employed at Hawthorne Middle School, have two daughters, Jamie, 10, and Kristy, 9. He also has a daughter, Kim, a parttime student at Lorain County Community College.