A native of Youngstown, Jenkins is a 1965 graduate of Ursuline School, earning his undergraduate degree from Youngstown State University in 1971 and MA from Westminster College in 1994.
Born April 14, 1947, he earned eight letters during a stellar scholastic career for the Fighting Irish, three each in cross country – he served as team captain in 1964 – and track and field – he was captain of the 1965 team – and two in basketball where he was named co-captain of the 1964-65 UHS squad.
He set the school record in the 180-yd. low hurdles, doling so in a 21.3 clocking.
His coaching career began in 1973 at his alma mater where he coached both boys and girls cross country, freshman basketball and the UHS track teams.
From 1973-76, his freshman basketball squad posted a 29-8 overall mark, winning the 1976 Steel Valley Conference championship.
Under his tutelage, multiple players advanced through the ranks and played varsity hoops, later went on to play at the college level with 18 former players earning induction into the school’s athletics hall of fame.
As head coach of the boys and girls’ cross country teams from 1973-84, he guided that contingent to a combined 52-18 dual/tri meet record.
He coached and helped develop runners Geoff Hulme (Villanova) and Phil Orlando (Youngstown State) on the boys side, and Wilma DePiore, an All-Ohio First-Team selection, state runner-up and UHS Athletics Hall of Fame honoree, and Marianne Kuhar, a hall of fame inductee and one of two girls on the boys’ cross country team.
As head varsity track coach, his teams finished as runners-up in the SVC on five separate occasions while posting a 50-11 overall dual/tri mark.
From 1974-85, 22 team members qualified for State, 15 earned All-Ohio laurels with Dave Hodge the 1974 state champion in the 120-yd. high hurdles (13.6) coming during his time as an assistant coach, and Dave Norris the state runner-up in the 120-yd. high hurdles the following year when he became head coach.
Thomas Ragland was the state high jump (6’ 10”) champion, Roger DiFrangia ran track for Case Western Reserve University with Hodge, Norris and Ragland all inducted into the UHS Athletics Hall of Fame for their efforts.
During his time at Ursuline, he taught English, bookkeeping and business law for grades 9-12.
From 2002-14, he served as head track coach at Medina High School where he led the Battling Bees to a 60-14 dual meet mark with five Pioneer Conference crowns.
Under his tutelage, MHS won one NEO Conference title, eight Division I district championships and three regional crowns.
He developed 49 state qualifiers and 25 All-Ohio athletes while his 4X100m relay team won the 2011 state championship.
For his efforts, he was named Medina County Spring Sports “Coach of the Year” twice, was the Medina County track and field “Coach of the Year” on eight separate occasions, was named the Medina County “Coach of the Decade” and in 2011 earned induction into the Medina City Hall of Fame/Friends of Medina.
He helped develop five New Balance and NIKE indoor track high school All-Americans.
Since 2019, he has served as an assistant coach for the Springfield Local boys and girls track teams, overseeing its hurdles, high jump and long jump hopefuls.
Since his arrival at SLHS, Tiger teams have set three new standards, produced eight individual district titlists, two regional champions (Beau Brungard and Ava Vecchione), six state qualifiers with Brungard finishing as state runner-up in the 110 high hurdles and 300m hurdles events.
A member of the Youngstown Road Runners Club, he has competed in three marathons (Skylon International Marathon), was the first official Race Master for the initial Youngstown International Peace Race and is an original board President of BUDA (Bureau of Drug Abuse), which later became Mahoning County Drug Programs.
He is the father of two sons, David (deceased) and Scott (Amy) and along with wife, Jean, has two stepdaughters, Shelly and Kristen (Brian) Yemma.
They are the proud grandparents of six and reside in Poland.
Doors open at 4 p.m., dinner will be served at 5 p.m. with the program set to commence at 6 p.m.
Individual tickets are $60 each, tables of eight $480 and will be available after February 1.Further information can be obtained by calling 330-506-6774 or by visiting the organization’s website at www.thecurbstonecoaches.org.
