Berks Sports Report Paul Roberts
He was much more than a high school football coach. Dr. Gerald Slemmer was a legend in West Lawn. He passed away in Arizona on Tuesday at the age of 74. Gerry Slemmer was a captain, along with John Yocum and Rick Fehling, on Wilson’s undefeated football team in 1969. The Bulldogs went (10-0) and outscored their opponents 327-to-99. Gerry Slemmer was an outstanding lineman who played alongside his twin brother Harold. Gerry Slemmer was also a standout wrestler. He was the Berks County champion at heavyweight during his senior season in 1970. Slemmer was a Big 33 selection and went on to play at Arizona State.
Slemmer returned to Wilson after college and served as an assistant under another coaching icon, John Gurski. Slemmer became the Bulldogs’ head coach in 1983 and rattled off 15 consecutive winning seasons. He guided Wilson to eight Section 1 titles in the Lancaster-Lebanon League and a pair of District 3 championships. The 1989 squad, which included former Penn State and NFL quarterback Kerry Collins, was (14-1). The Bulldogs reached the PIAA-4A Final that fall. Wilson went (12-2) the following year and won its second straight District 3 crown with Chris Adams at quarterback. During Slemmer’s final three seasons as head coach (1995-97), the Bulldogs were (29-5). He led Wilson to an overall record of (129-42) and was inducted into the PSFCA Hall of Fame in 2004.
Slemmer stepped down as head coach to become the high school principal at Wilson. He then moved to Arizona and was the principal of Red Mountain High School for a decade before retiring from that position in 2014. I reached out to numerous people who played for Slemmer or coached with him at Wilson. Here are their thoughts about a man who will never be forgotten in West Lawn.
Kerry Collins
“Coach Slemmer took his role as a molder of young men seriously. He preached discipline, accountability and leadership both on and off the field. He was tough, but fair. He was demanding, yet compassionate. He challenged countless young men to be better than they thought they could be, and they were better off for it. He embodied everything one would hope a high school coach would be. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on.”
John Gilmore
“Coach Slemmer had a physical presence about him that made you sit up straight, not because he instilled fear, but because everyone around him held him in such high regard. He’s the coach that made the biggest impact on my football career. I’m convinced my career would have looked a lot different if it wasn’t for his intentional efforts to help me get recruited in 1996. It’s a sad day for the Wilson community. We lost a special human being. If there were more Gerry Slemmers out there, the world would be a better place. My condolences to his family.”
Doug Dahms
“Gerry Slemmer was a very religious person who used his morals and beliefs to help shape young people’s lives. He was a strong person who believed in surrounding himself with strong coaches and letting them coach. The players who played for him knew he would do everything he could to make them better football players and better young men. He was a good friend and I learned a lot from him.”
John Yocum
“His humble beginnings growing up in Whiskey Ditch in West Wyomissing, and playing under John Gurski, were very valuable in learning the game and how to coach football. I don’t know of anyone who didn’t like Gerry Slemmer. He was such a good teacher and coach because he would be humble with everybody.”
Bill Haas
“What made him a great coach was his insight and his ability to manage things. He knew, just like John Gurski, what was necessary and important for a program to be successful. He almost never said ‘I’, it was always ‘we’.”
Bruce Harbach
“What made Gerry Slemmer a great football coach came from a combination of credibility, discipline, leadership and a concern for developing young people. He combined deep knowledge of the game with high expectations and sustained success. Coach Slemmer built consistent, championship level teams while creating a lasting culture at Wilson. He developed people, not merely players. From my experience coaching with Gerry, I regarded him as a good person because he used football to teach character. He invested his career in young people and left those around him better prepared to lead others.”
Brian McCarty
“Coach Slemmer was a legend, an incredible coach, a leader and a close friend. He defined Wilson football. One memory that captures him perfectly is our 1989 team celebrating after beating Gov. Mifflin to finish the regular season (11-0). He walked in with a surprised look and asked, ‘What the heck are you guys celebrating about?’ He told us, ‘You are NOT that good, you haven’t played anyone yet’. The locker room went silent, exactly as he intended. He knew how to keep a room full of high school kids humble, sharp and focused on the next challenge. Everything our 1989 team accomplished was a reflection of Coach Slemmer’s leadership. We could not have done it without his belief in us.”
Marty Palm
“The two things I think of immediately when thinking of Coach Slemmer are motivation and work ethic. The man could get a locker room full of young men to believe just about anything. Playing a (1-8) team, he’d make it sound like you were playing the Pittsburgh Steelers and you’d believe it. His pregame speeches were better than anything Hollywood could come up with. We’d be so fired up with emotion that tears would come out of our eyes. As for work ethic, the road to victory went through the weight room. You played football, you lifted. No exceptions.”
Chris Adams
“What made Coach Slemmer so influential in my life was the way he communicated, motivated and treated all players, regardless of their respective talents. He had a presence and a way to get the most of players that was unrivaled. Before every game, he would say, ‘If we pick each other up and we stick together tonight, they can’t beat us’. Those words meant validation and confidence from a man we all looked up to and admired. Wilson football had a huge impact on my life, and Coach Slemmer was a big part of that.”
Dean Kraras
“Coach Slemmer was a huge part of the lives of anyone that played for him. He helped us to grow as young men. Toughing things out and getting through difficult situations by being strong and working hard was something he preached. He taught us all the value of hard work and how to deal with adversity. He valued the team first over any individual accolades. He taught us how to strive for a common goal and the value of teamwork. He will be missed.”
Joe Lenart
“I’m very saddened to hear of the passing of Coach Slemmer. It’s very much like losing a big chunk of my childhood. He was such a role model, mentor and huge figure in all of our lives, particularly those of us that played for him. No one, and I mean NO ONE, had the ability to motivate a collection of 60-70 young men more than Coach Slemmer. His pregame speeches were unmatched. He could get you to run through a wall and want to do it again without hesitation. RIP coach. You left a positive impact on thousands of young men.”
Kurt Kelly
“He was a great man. Coach Slemmer was a commanding presence that taught us more than football. He taught us the importance of hard work, discipline and a commitment to excellence. I feel very fortunate to have played for Coach Slemmer. I will always be grateful for the lessons I learned from him.”
Kyle Hare
“As a coach, Gerry Slemmer surrounded himself with a knowledgeable staff that emphasized the importance of tradition, preparation and pride. His ability to motivate his players was legendary and formed a strong bond. You never wanted to let him down on and off the field. As a high school administrator, he implemented a similar framework. He surrounded himself with good teachers and focused on teamwork. He did what was best for the kids and always encouraged his staff to grow as professionals. It’s almost impossible to put into words the tremendous impact that he’s had on so many people that were fortunate enough to be around him.”
Steve Brock
“Coach Slemmer had a way of making you and your team play above what anyone else thought you could. He was a master motivator. You wanted to succeed for him, the team and the program. He loomed large on the sidelines. I hope his family knows the lasting positive impact he had on so many young men who came through the Wilson program. Those lessons and work ethic are still things I carry with me to this day, and try to instill in my youth football players. He will be missed.”
Jeremy Palm
“Coach Slemmer was big in stature with a big smile and a bigger heart. Through football and as a teacher, I have never met someone that had anything other than the kindest words to say about him! He was an amazing leader who undoubtedly took the Wilson football legacy even farther. With his size, smile and heart, Coach Slemmer kept it light with a great sense of humor as well.”
Shane Herb
“Coach Slemmer was a great motivator. He always knew what buttons to press to get the most out of his players and teams. He always had some sort of story or speech to get everyone fired up each week. For example, the burning of the buses, bullies in your backyard and cream puffs.”