Whidden retires after 10 state titles
By Zachary Dzurick
Sports
Published March 23, 2005

As he left Mass Sunday morning the week before this year's state championship tournaments, legendary St. Edward hockey coach Bob Whidden shared a secret with his son and assistant coach Rob Whidden that previously only Bob's wife, Irma, knew.

"This is it," the elder told his son.

Whidden never told his players it was his last game. He didn't resort to a "win one for the Gipper" speech. It has always been about the "boys" for Whidden. The score was still tied heading into the third period. But his team, as they have so many times before, found a way to win the third period and Whidden's 10th state title. His career ended as it had started -- with a state title.

Whidden's family kept his secret until the morning of March 16. He told the team in the morning before the afternoon press conference. It had been announced at the state tournament that the game was Whidden's 505th career win. Whidden is such a good coach that by the press conference, he picked up two more wins. Officially his career record after 21 years was 507-149-28. His teams appeared at 16 state championship tournaments. Along with the 10 titles, Whidden's teams were runner-ups three times and won seven Baron Cups.

"It was a good way to go," Whidden said.

For Whidden, every team has been special, but a few teams stand out from the rest. Topping the list were the titles won when his sons were playing for him.

"The 1990 team that my son Jarret played on probably was pound for pound the best team we had. They were ranked fourth in the nation that year," Whidden said. "The 1994 state championship team with my son Tyler was special, too. The 1988 team with Robbie was really good, but unfortunately we lost to Padua. Those are the ones I remember because of the boys."

Whidden admits winning the state title team his first year as coach stands out as well.

"The first year was special," Whidden said. "We took over a program that was very good that had some great players. We were able to bring in some seniors who were at Ed's but didn't play for Ed's before then. We were able to get them to play and they gave some senior leadership."

Adding to the emotions of winning a first ever title, Whidden had to go head to head with a friend and players he knew very well.

"I lived in North Olmsted and had coached so many of the kids from North Olmsted. I had coached both goalies. Ronnie Ward was the coach at North Olmsted and we had been teammates. We win by one goal and they miss an open net with about minute and half to go,

"After the game, Wardie has to go to the airport because he is going on a golf trip. I took him to the airport. I beat him and he is going golfing and I am stuck in Cleveland. So I decided then if it happened again, I am going to go away for a couple of days too."

This started a tradition of heading to Florida for a few days after the season. Whidden is making the move permanently. His wife has found a new job in Tampa.

"Irma is starting her new position April 4," Whidden said. "I have to stay behind and do the hard work, pack up the house and sell it. The last two or three years we have been looking at it. We had to go down on my wife's ticket. She is the professional in the family. I would not have been able to do down there what I do up here."

Besides coaching, Whidden was also the director of ice operations at the Metroplex in Warrensville Heights.

While he will miss the game, there are aspects that Whidden will be happy to avoid.

"Getting up on a Wednesday morning in January and not have to go to hockey practice at 6:30 a.m. and then going outside and the sun will be shining," Whidden said. "I am looking forward to that."

Howard Ferguson, a long-time legendary coach himself in wrestling, was the athletic director who brought Whidden into the St. Edward family.

"I saw Fergie in the wrestling room," Whidden said. "He was one of the greatest motivators I have ever seen. I said I have to be a part of this. It was tremendous."

Whidden is known for being tough on his players. For Whidden, he said it is developing young men for more than just hockey but for the real world. He admits that it is the "boys" that he will miss the most.

"Some of these kids are going to be bosses one day," You have to learn how to pull it together. You need to have good assistants and I have. You have to have good people around you. I have been very fortunate, and it was one of the reasons I stayed here so long because of the support I have had from the school."

He is pleased that so many former players have stayed in the game to coach at some level.

"It is nice to see them around the rinks," Whidden said. "It is rewarding."

Whidden believes that the players haven't changed much in the last two decades. Rather there are just more distractions.

"Student-athletes keep us going," Whidden said. "They are no different, but now they have more distractions. When we started, maybe four guys had cars. Now everyone had their own cars. I used to have to pack the trunk with bags to get them to practice. We had bags hanging out the windows. Now they all have cars and they have cell phones and the damn Internet. I can't email. I still write everything out."

So while coach hasn't quite embraced the technological age, he leaves a game he has been a part of for over 50 years still at the top of the game. Born in Sudbury, Ontario, he rose through the ranks of junior hockey as a goalie. He began his professional career in 1965 for the Toronto Marlboros of the OHA. He played four years with the Cleveland Crusaders in the WHA from 1972-1976. The night before his final state championship, Whidden drove back to Cleveland to be inducted into the Cleveland Barons ring of honor for his impact on hockey in the Cleveland area including his role to get the Lumberjacks to relocate to Cleveland.

"It has been a lot of fun," he said. "I will miss it."