Induction Sport Role

2014 Football | Baseball Coach

Don Hertler, Sr. attended Brookside Elementary & Bridgeport Junior High School. He was a 1946 graduate of Bridgeport High School. He attended college at Kent State and then enlisted in the army for 18 months on the G.I. Bill. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree as a Health & Physical Education Major from Wittenberg University.

Don's athletic acheivements are as follows:
Baseball- 2 year Letterman/ Short-Stop, Team captain senior year, Team earned trip to State Baseball Tournament. From 1944-1946 he played Semi-Pro baseball. In 1954, he was Class "A" Baseball Player for the Hoover Company.

Basketball- 3 year letterman/ Guard & Forward, Team captain senior year. From 1948-1951 he played baseball and football for Wittenberg University.

He was the Head Baseball Coach at North Canton Hoover High School from 1954-1970. During this time, the record was 220 wins/90 losses. They only had 1 losing season. The team participated in the Regional Semi-Finals in 1964 & 1970 and the Regional Finals in 1965. Don was the Head Wrestling Coach at Hoover in 1959, with a record of 12 wins to 1 loss. The loss was to Bridgeport High School who won the state title.

During his tenure as Head Football Coach from 1960 to 1980 at Hoover, his record was 163 wins, 43 losses, and 3 ties. They had no losing seasons. The team was undefeated in 1972 & 1975. They were the Federal League Champions 7 of 13 years. He received the Federal League Coach of the Year 7 times, Stark County Coach of the Year 2 times, and District Coach of the Year 2 times.

Don's honors and awards are as follows:
- Upper Valley Dapper Dan Club 1977
- Honorary Coach East-West All-Star High School Football Game 1984
- Ohio High School Coaches Hall of Fame 1987
- Stark County Amateur Baseball Association Hall of Fame 1991
- North Canton Hoover High School Alumni Association Hall of Distinction 1994
- Stark County High School Football Hall of Fame 2003
- Athletic Field Named Don Hertler, Sr. Field 2011
- Bridgeport High School Hall of Fame 2011
- Grand Marshal North Canton Memorial Day Parade 2012
- Alumni Citation Award at Wittenberg University 2012