“I was fortunate enough to have played for Coach Reed, as I’m sure many of you in the crowd were,” he said during the dedication ceremony that had hundreds in attendance. “We often talk about how many coaches have or how many years they coach, but typically we don’t hear too many stories about what really matters, which is the lessons coaches teach their players, which go beyond sports.”
Tim Reed was Talawanda’s baseball coach when he died from complications of a heart attack at the age of 57. Reed was heading into his fourth season as Talawanda’s head coach.
The 1979 Taft High School graduate from Hamilton City Schools, Reed coached football, basketball and baseball (and some soccer) for his alma mater district. The Talawanda job had been the first time he’d been a varsity head coach.
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Credit: Michael D. Pitman
Reed is a member of the Hamilton Athletic Hall of Fame as he was an All-Ohio basketball and baseball player. He also participated in soccer and cross country.
Reed’s son, Jimmy, was appreciative of the support people still hold for his father, who died in January 2019.
“It’s incredible to see everyone come together to celebrate this special moment,” he said. “As many of you already know, our dad was a very humble man, and he would have a hard time accepting all this being done on his behalf.”
Tim Reed spent 30-plus years teaching and coaching, and his son said those efforts “have made a lasting impact on many lives.”
“He left his mark on many people’s hearts, and we’re all better for knowing Tim Reed,” said Jimmy Reed.
Margerum learned numerous life lessons from his former coach, but one that has stuck with him was the importance of being good people, not just good players.
In an impression of Reed, he said, “‘It’s not about the X’s and the O’s, it’s about the Jimmys and the Joes.’”
While he thought it was funny at the time, he didn’t understand the meaning until later in life, he said.
“I thought about that frequently in my day-to-day work,” Margerum said. “Without a good group of people around me to support me, I would not have been as successful in life. The people we have on our team in life are the most important teammates we will have. Coach Reed was not just a great coach, but a great person. I’m sure many of us in this room are glad he was on our team.”
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