The corner would like to express its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Ohio football coaching legend Bill Gutbrod, who passed away today at the age of 87.

Our prayers also go out to the Villa Angela-St. Joseph (formerly St. Joseph) community, as it "mourns the loss and celebrates the life" of the Vikings' coaching legend.

A man and a coach this corner had the privilege to cover and report on during my 37 years at The Plain Dealer, Bill was inducted into the Vikings' Hall of Fame in 1987. He was the head football coach at St. Joseph High School from its founding in 1950 to 1990. In 41 seasons, Coach Gutbrod's Vikings compiled a record of 268 wins, 107 losses and 17 ties. He led the Vikings to seven Crown Conference titles and enjoyed five undefeated seasons. Bill held a 25-game unbeaten string from 1962 to 1964.

In 1989, Bill guided the Vikings to Ohio's Division II state championship, as both the Vikings and the Saint Ignatius Wildcats (Division I) brought home state crowns to Cleveland.

After serving as the head football coach at Gilmour Academy late in his career, Bill finished with 310 career victories, one of the premier marks in Ohio. "The Vet," as Bill was known to many of his coaching colleagues, also served as an assistant coach under John Gibbons at St. Edward during his final seasons on the sideline.

In a release from Villa Angela-St. Joseph, Bill was described as a man and a coach "known for his passion as well as his talent and zeal as a teacher. He embodied the spirit of what it means to be a Viking, and his memory remains etched in the minds and hearts of all of us whose lives he so deeply touched."

Again, my deepest sympathy goes out to the Gutbrod family and the entire Vikings family, and I thank God for the opportunity to have covered Bill and his many outstanding teams.

May he rest in peace, Eddie Dwyer