Terre Haute, IN

A name that probably evokes more basketball successes than baseball, Sharpie coached baseball, mostly in Terre Haute at Gertsmeyer. There are over 600 wins logged with numerous city titles. His coaching was done before the IHSAA began the state tournament format in baseball. He began his coaching career in Clinton Township in LaPorte County in 1940 and moved on to Monon in White County for the ‘41-‘43 seasons. In 1943 the school closed and he was asked by Uncle Sam to report to Navy and the Great Lakes Naval Station but failed the physical and moved to Terre Haute the next year. At Gerstmeyer he coached about every sport in some capacity or other. It was here that fame really found Sharpie with Harley, Arley and Uncle Harold. He stayed until the school closed 28 years later. During his tenure his teams won nearly 500 basketball games, over 100 football games.

He is in the Indiana Baseball and Basketball Hall of Fames, the Wabash Valley Sports Hall of Fame, Indiana State Hall of Fame, and was voted the National High School Basketball Coach of the Year in 1975 and was the organization’s president in 1976. He was selected as one of the Top 100 players in Terre Haute history. After graduation from ISU in 1934 he was married in 1940 to Frances and they have been together for 59 years. They still reside in Terre Haute.