Longtime Coach/Administrator Bill Myles Passes Away
5/12/2020 7:39:13 PM | General
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Bill Myles, an assistant football coach at Ohio State who worked for both Woody Hayes and Earl Bruce and later became a longtime administrator within the Department of Athletics, passed away Tuesday. Myles and Lorita, his wife of 62 years, resided in Worthington until moving to Friendship Village in Dublin. He was 83 years old.
Myles was hired by Hayes in 1977 to coach the offensive line and was retained by Bruce when he was hired in 1979. He served in the same capacity under Bruce for six seasons. In his eight-year tenure, Myles coached some of the Buckeyes’ all-time great linemen, including Chris Ward, an All-American and the fourth overall draft choice of the New York Jets in 1978, and Jim Lachey, an All-American in 1984 and an 11-year NFL veteran.
In 1985, Myles moved into an administrative position with the Department of Athletics as an associate athletics director. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing all of Ohio State’s men’s sports, including budgeting, scheduling and travel. In 1993, Myles’ duties included oversight of a combination of men’s and women’s sports in addition to administering the department’s outreach program, which encouraged former student-athletes who had not graduated to return and complete their degrees. That program remains in place today. In all, Myles spent 30 years as a member of Ohio State’s Department of Athletics.
“My condolences to Lorita and the Myles family,” Gene Smith, Senior Vice President & Wolfe Foundation Endowed Athletics Director, said. “Bill’s impact on student-athletes and coaches was immeasurable. My first introduction to Bill was when he was an assistant coach at Nebraska and he recruited me. To come full circle and have an opportunity to work with him at OSU was truly a blessing. Our hearts are filled with sadness; Bill will be missed.”
A native of Kansas City, Myles graduated from Drake University in 1962. He was a two-way player on the football field, playing both center and linebacker for the Bulldogs. His coaching career began in Kansas City in 1962 as a high school assistant. Three years later, he became a head coach and posted a 45-20-3 record over seven seasons at Lincoln (Neb.) High School.
In 1972, Myles was hired at the University of Nebraska and worked for both Bob Devaney and Tom Osborne. He coached the offensive line. In 1975, Osborne made him the Cornhuskers’ linebackers coach. In all, Myles was a part of 14 bowl games during his career, including the Orange, Rose, Sugar, Cotton and Fiesta.
In addition to his degree from Drake, Myles also earned a master’s degree from Central Missouri State in 1967. He received two of Drake’s most prestigious alumni awards: the Double D Award, given to an athlete who later distinguishes themselves in their chosen profession, and the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor given by the Drake Alumni Association.
In retirement, Myles remained closely tied to Ohio State athletics and was a fixture at all home football games. In addition to his wife, Myles is survived by his two grown children: Debora, a 1980 graduate of Ohio State, and Bill, who played football collegiately at Dayton.
