Jerry Sweed is being inducted into the Curbstone Coaches Hall of Fame for his contribution to sports this spring, one of four contributors honored in this year’s induction class.
A 1966 graduate of Ursuline High School born February 10, 1948, Sweed spent more than five decades coaching basketball, baseball and football, nurturing student-athletes at the youth league level as they prepared for scholastic and collegiate careers. Known simply as “Coach” in local athletic circles, he left his mark at stops including St. Christine’s, St. Luke’s, St. Anthony’s and East High School locally, before moving on to Conneaut and New Brighton, Pennsylvania, and later returning to assist at Cardinal Mooney High School.
In his early coaching days, he guided St. Christine’s to a perfect 20-0 season and a Parochial League championship, then led St. Luke’s to a perfect 22-0 mark and a Parochial League title of its own before guiding St. Anthony’s to a 32-0 season and an AAU regional championship. He later joined East High School to assist the Golden Bears’ football and basketball programs, helping the basketball team win back-to-back City Series titles.
Sweed earned his first head coaching job at Conneaut High School before moving to New Brighton (PA) Area High School, where he led the Lions to a 42-18 record and a WPIAL championship on a squad that included future Major League player and Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona. While at New Brighton, he also coached in the prestigious Dapper Dan Roundball Classic in Pittsburgh, founded and managed by this year’s fellow honoree Sonny Vaccaro, and was later selected to coach the Pennsylvania All-Star team.
He returned to the Mahoning Valley to coach at Cardinal Mooney for 13 years before closing out his coaching career with seven seasons at Canfield High School as a junior high and varsity assistant. He went on to serve six years on the OHSAA Northeast Board, managing the girls basketball tournament and assigning officials. Sweed also spent six summers assisting the late Indiana Hoosiers Hall of Fame coach Bobby Knight at his basketball camp and worked camps for former Niagara and Utah Jazz coach Frank Layden.
Sweed earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Youngstown State in 1970, a teaching certification in special education from YSU in 1972, and a Master of Arts in rehabilitation counseling from Kent State University in 1975. He is the father of three children, Kimberly Anne, Kerrie Ann and Kris, and resides in Boardman.
