Ohio Athletics Mourns Loss of Longtime Former Football Assistant Kappes
11/27/2020 12:00:00 AM | Football
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ATHENS, Ohio -- Ohio Athletics is mourning the loss of longtime former football assistant coach Bob Kappes, who passed away Thursday at the age of 92.
Kappes came to Ohio University in 1958 with the late Bill Hess. The duo helped guide the Bobcats to four Mid-American Conference championships (1960, '63, '67, '68), including a perfect 10-0 (6-0 MAC) campaign in 1960 in which Ohio claimed the NCAA College Division national championship.
Kappes took over as interim head coach of the Bobcats in 1978 after Hess passed away that year. Under his watch as head coach in 1978, halfback Kevin Babcock and offensive tackle Steve Milano earned All-MAC First Team honors while tight end Mark Geisler, defensive back Jim Givens and center Don Puthoff garnered Second Team recognition.
Kappes remained at Ohio as an assistant coach under Brian Burke, then assumed the new position of recruiting coordinator/administrative assistant under Cleve Bryant in 1985 and remained in that role when Tom Lichtenburg became head coach in 1990. He served in that capacity until his retirement following the 1993 season.
Kappes' career at Ohio spanned 36 years, including 27 as an assistant coach. In his 36 years on the Ohio staff, the Bobcats totaled 150 victories and registered 15 winning seasons. He was inducted into the Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame in 1982.
A 1950 graduate of Miami University, Kappes is a member of both the Miami and Ohio Athletic Halls of Fame. He coached at Cincinnati Western Hills High School from 1950-57, where he was named Cincinnati's Coach of the Year in 1957. He went on to earn a master's degree at Ohio in 1964.
His wife, Joan, served as an instructor in Ohio University's School of Health and Sports Sciences for over 20 years until her retirement this summer. Kappes is survived by Joan, his three children, Steve, Peggy and Linda – all graduates of OU.
Click here to make a gift to the OHIO Bobcats Football account in memory of Coach Kappes.
Checks should be made to The Ohio University Foundation, with "Football – Coach Kappes" written on the memo line, and mailed to:
The Ohio University Foundation
P.O. Box 869
Athens, Ohio 45701
Remembering Bob Kappes
"I will always remember Coach Kappes as a great, caring man. I can't remember him ever raising his voice at me, although unquestionably I probably deserved it to be more than a few times. He could get his point across in a simple, concise manner. He was a master teacher as well as coach. I didn't remain close to him or The Bobcat Family after I left for a number of years. Like a lot of people, I was juggling life, career and family. When I retired, I wrote Coach a note expressing what I should have done years before. I wanted to express to him the influence he had on my life and career. He was a great man. Rest in peace, Coach, you will live in your players' hearts forever."
- Scott Downer, former Ohio football student-athlete
"I know we all have memories of Kap and what an important part he played in our lives. For many of us, he was our Ohio dad, providing wise guidance as we struggled to mature and become men. But it didn't stop when we graduated. He remained a positive influence in our lives. We all marveled at his exceptional memory when he would meet you at a game 20-plus years later and recall where you were living and your wife's name. When you think of all the players that he coached, that's truly amazing. He leaves such a wonderful legacy of shaping and touching so many of our lives. After recognizing all we have to be thankful for yesterday during Thanksgiving, we now have an opportunity to recognize how fortunate we all have been to have been a part of Coach Kappes' life and influence."
- Mark Geisler, former Ohio football student-athlete
"Coach Kappes was one of the most influential men in my life. My dad had passed away before my senior year in high school, so I Had thrown caution out the window, along with the concept of discipline. Fortunately, Coach Hess put me under the wings of Coach Kappes, but I thought my world, as I knew it, was over! He was relentless, and I did not make it easy on myself! But he really cared, and I respected him for that. He taught me about second chances earned, not given, and the value of dedication in studies and sports. Most importantly I never will forget the value of results from what I heard most: 'Mike Johnson, Mike Johnson, Mike Johnson, excuses are like #%€£%, everyone has them. I need results!' He will be dearly missed!"
- Mike Johnson, former Ohio football student-athlete
"Coach Kappes and his wife Joan would drop by Peden Stadium on occasion to sit in the stands and watch practice. He'd always call and wish us good luck prior to the games. I appreciated him remaining connected to the program even after he retired. He had a great influence on his players, and he always made a point to attend our golf outings. It was great to see how much those players appreciated what he was all about, and it was evident how much his players cared for him and enjoyed visiting with him. He was a great Bobcat who will be missed."
- Frank Solich, Ohio head coach
"As young coaches in Athens during the '90s, we looked up to the tremendous influence of having Coach Bob Kappes around our team. In many ways, he was the spirit and pulse of the university community. Although he went to college in Oxford, Coach Kap spent most of his time in Athens. Coach was pure class. He was steady and true and always seemed to have the right perspective on the Bobcats. Our thoughts and prayers are with his incredible soul and his family."
- Troy Calhoun, former Ohio assistant coach and current Air Force head coach
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