Oliver Ames Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees: The Coaches

This week, Patch is taking a look at the most recent inductees into the Athletic Hall of Fame. On Saturday, the Hall of Fame In all, 11 athletes, one citizen, two coaches and two teams were inducted.

Wednesday we showed you the and Tuesday we

Yesterday we showed you the citizen.

Today, we bring to you the coaches inducted in to the Hall of Fame on Saturday.

DAVID CLEARY

Dave Cleary coached and taught at Oliver Ames High School from 1969 through 1997, a period in which he built a winning Tiger tradition in hockey and golf.    In fact, he coached the 1980 Oliver Ames boys’ all-state all-class golf championship team that was inducted into the OAHS Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

Dave, a U.S. Coast Guard veteran, was OA’s first varsity hockey coach – and a hockey guy through and through. During the 1970s, he strode the area behind the OA hock- ey team bench as it emerged and solidified itself as one of the win- ningest programs in the state. He coached hockey for 10 years, compiling a record of 120-18-3, with five league championships. Dave was a director of the Massachusetts State Hockey Coaches Association for 20 years, two of which he served as the association president. In 1985, he was inducted into the Massachusetts State Coaches Hockey Hall of Fame.

As Tiger golf coach, Dave oversaw and stewarded the building of a jugger- naut. In his 29 years as coach he went 309-63-27, with 14 league champi- onships, eight district championships, and in 1980, the Massachusetts state championship.

EDMUND DELGADO

Ed Delgado, a 1959 Oliver Ames High School grad, ranks with the most successful and respected cross country and track & field coaches in Massachusetts history.    He is consid- ered a dean of these sports in the state and throughout New England. In 1990, Ed was inducted into the Massachusetts State Track Coaches Hall of Fame.

A multisport athlete at OA, Ed was a versatile performer and big point scorer for the school’s track & field squads.    After graduating from Stonehill College and serving in the U.S. Army, Ed took jobs as a biology teacher, cross country coach and track & field coach at Brockton High School. Over 16 years at BHS, he built and mentored a dynasty, with his cross country and indoor and track and field teams, combined, winning 12 Eastern Massachusetts Class A meet championships, two Massachusetts All Class meet championships, two New England meet championships, and 16 Suburban League championships.
Ed coached a Brockton mile relay team that set an indoor national record with a time of 3:17.8. More than 50 of his BHS athletes won individual state crowns.

After high school coaching, Ed went on to coach in college – and again won championships; over 22 years as the coach of Bridgewater State College’s men’s cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field teams, the Bears won six Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference cross country titles, and a MASCAC outdoor track & field crown. Twelve of his BSC athletes achieved All America status.    Ed is still coaching in the college ranks, as the assistant coach of the Wheaton College (Norton, MA) men’s and women’s track and field teams.