Last week, we lost a friend of the Wasserstrom family: long-time Ohio State University football coach, Earle Bruce. Coach Bruce had the unenviable task of taking over for Buckeye legend Woody Hayes. For 9 seasons, Coach Bruce led the Buckeyes to 81 wins. In addition to mentoring numerous, legendary Buckeye football players, Coach Bruce’s assistants included current OSU coach Urban Meyer, former coach Jim Tressel and other notable coaches including Alabama’s Nick Saban, Michigan State’s Mark Dantonio, and Pete Carroll (currently with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks).
Even after his tenure as a coach, Earle Bruce continued to support the university and its football program. The photos in this article are from 2002 when Coach Bruce helped us to celebrate our 100th anniversary. As part of our vendor appreciation event, Coach Bruce was our tour guide for a Buckeye football practice and a behind-the-scenes tour of Ohio Stadium.
Later that evening, Coach Bruce was the featured speaker at our vendor appreciation dinner.
In 2016, Coach Bruce was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. He passed away on Friday at age 87. His daughters released a statement on the loss of “a wonderful husband, father, grandfather and a respected coach to many.”
Thanks for the memories Coach!
