Western Wayne Today

Richard Lowry, a notable figure in college football coaching, passed away earlier this week in Berea, Ohio. Lowry served as the head coach for Wayne State University's football team from 1974 to 1979. During his tenure, he achieved a record of 38-21-1 and holds the highest winning percentage (.642) among all WSU football coaches over the program's 107-year history.

Lowry took over a struggling team and led them to significant success. In his first year, he guided Wayne State to a 7-3 record as an independent team. The following year, the Tartars won the GLIAC title with an 8-3 overall record. Under his leadership, the team continued to perform well, finishing second in the conference standings during his final season.

In recognition of his contributions, Lowry was inducted into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002. His biography highlights his impactful career at Wayne State and beyond. Before joining WSU, he was an offensive coordinator at Akron and had a successful stint as a high school coach in Cleveland.

After leaving Wayne State, Lowry became head coach at Hillsdale College for 17 years (1980-1996). There, he led the Chargers to five GLIAC championships and one Midwest Intercollegiate Football Conference title. His teams qualified for five NAIA national playoffs and won the NAIA National Championship in 1985.

Lowry's achievements earned him several accolades including being named NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1982 and conference Coach of the Year six times. He also played a role in developing players who went on to become All-Americans and Academic All-Americans.

In addition to coaching, Lowry taught classes in Health and Physical Education. He graduated from Baldwin-Wallace College where he participated in multiple sports and later obtained a master's degree from Kent State University.

Lowry is survived by his wife Phyllis and their two children, Marianne and Reed.