KERMIT ROWE COMMENTARY
You could point to Frank Shannon’s 214 career wins as head men’s basketball coach at Ohio Wesleyan University as the most impressive reason he will be posthumously inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame on May 22.
Or to his standout basketball and baseball career at Wittenberg University.
But the best proof of Shannon’s impact lies in the lives he changed for the better.
“We modeled our lives after him,” said Bill Reese, one of the players Shannon coached at Olive Branch and Tecumseh high schools. Shannon also spent some time at Urbana High School before starting a 21-year tenure at Wesleyan.
“He had such an impact on your life,” Reese continued. “You appreciate it more as the years go by.”
Shannon died in December 2005 at the age of 84.
His impact lives on, however — something that will be evident at the induction.
Planning to attend are former players Reese, Donnie Barnhart, Larry Acton, Phil Semler, Jim Young, Johnny Robb, Herm Schiller and NBA great and former Cleveland Cavaliers team president Wayne Embry.
“We’ve got people coming from as far as California, Texas and Florida,” said Reese.
Tecumseh ties from the present will also be in attendance as current boys hoops and baseball coach Roger Culbertson, his assistant coach, Mark Holbrook, and athletic director Craig Eier plan to be there along with longtime Arrows booster Ron Lyons.
“The guy was only there eight years, but the impact he had on our lives seemed like he was there all our lives,” said Reese. “The reason: He knew basketball and discipline and had this integrity about him.
“In practice, you could hear a pin drop. Because if something didn’t go right he’d stop the practice and ask you what was wrong, even if you weren’t part of it. So you had to be alert all the time for his pop quizzes. You didn’t want to disappoint him.”
“It’s a big honor,” said Tom Shannon, one of Frank’s sons. “What’s really nice about it was when the letter came telling us he would be inducted, it said, ‘Your dad is being inducted because of the honor he brought to Ohio basketball.’
“He’s not getting inducted because he scored 50 points per game, but because of the honor he brought to the game, and to people’s lives.”
Tom was quick to point out what made his dad so effective.
“He had a good impact everywhere he went because he felt family and character were very important,” he said.
Frank Shannon grew up at the Masonic Children’s Home in Springfield.
“He had no money,” said Tom. “He learned discipline and to appreciate stuff instead of taking things for granted.”
Obviously, he passed that on.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0364 or krowe@coxohio.com.