Former Northeastern coach leads London

Wasserman will lead the Red Raiders against Urbana on Friday.

Former  Northeastern coach Jerry Wasserman, 70, is now coaching at London HIgh School.

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By Michael Cooper, Staff Writer 12:27 AM Wednesday, August 24, 2011

SPRINGFIELD — At age 70, former Northeastern High School football coach Jerry Wasserman is “happy just to get up in the morning and see daylight.”

He’s also happy to be back on the sidelines as the head coach at London High School.

After five years as an assistant coach with the Red Raiders, Wasserman replaced former coach Bill Dennis last March. Dennis left London to take the head coaching at Rittman High School after budget cuts by the school district left him without a teaching position.

“I hadn’t intended (to be a head coach again), it was just a matter of opportunity,” Wasserman said. “When the job came open, I applied for it and the rest is history.”

He said he’s loving every minute of it.

“I’m at a point in my life where I’ve had a lot of fun,” Wasserman said. “I feel good, I feel young. I’m three years younger than (Pittsburgh Steelers assistant) Dick LeBeau, who’s a fixture around London.”

During his 40-year career, Wasserman has compiled a career record of 251-169-2. He coached at Mechanicsburg in the 1970s before taking over the program at Northeastern in 1980. In 25 seasons with the Jets, he won 12 league titles and made seven playoff appearances.

He was inducted into the Ohio High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1997.

The Raiders, who have 20 seniors and 19 returning letter-winners from a team that went 5-5 a year ago, travel to face rival Urbana on Friday. They fell to the Hillclimbers 21-20 last season.

“It’s going to come down to the wire again,” Wasserman said.

During the preseason, the Red Raiders have dealt with a lot of things other than football. A storm last April caused damage to the light poles at London’s football stadium, and they’re in the process of having them replaced.

“We’re putting up temporary lights so we can have our first game,” Wasserman said.

He’s hoping his team can keep improving and make a run at a playoff berth in D-III, Region 12. The Red Raiders also face a tough schedule in the South Central Ohio League, playing the likes of Clinton-Massie and Jonathan Alder.

“I think you do what you do because you love it and you feel good,” Wasserman said. “I’m having a good time with this group of kids.”

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