Bowling Green State University Athletics
BGSU Athletics Hall Of Famer John Piper Passes Away
November 29, 2017 | General, Men's Golf
Bowling Green, Ohio – John Piper, a 2001 BGSU Athletics Hall of Fame inductee and 13-year head coach of the BGSU men's golf program, passed away Sunday.Piper's teams won Mid-American Conference Championships in 1972, 1973 and 1978 and he was named MAC Coach of the Year following the 1978 campaign. During his tenure, Piper's teams won 20 tournament titles, and posted a winning percentage of .671, based on matches and tournament finishes. He took the three MAC-championship teams to the NCAA Tournaments while sending individuals in four other years. In the 1970's, the golf team was the most successful of all BGSU sports teams in MAC competition, posting a runner-up, one third place and one fourth place finish in addition to the three titles.
In addition to his coaching duties at BGSU, Piper served two terms as the elected Secretary-Treasurer of the NCAA Golf Coaches Association (1979-83). An instructor in the school of Health, Physical Education and Recreation at BGSU, he was selected as a finalist for the school's University Master Teacher Award by the BGSU Undergraduate Alumni Association on five occasions. In 1990, he was one of three BGSU faculty nominees for the National CASE Undergraduate Professor of the Year Award.
A 1958 graduate of Mount Union College, Piper received his master's degree in 1961. He then coached golf, basketball and football at the high school level before becoming BGSU's freshman golf coach in 1967. Piper took over for the retired Forrest Creason as head coach three years later. The men's golf team hosts an annual tournament in his honor at Stone Ridge Golf Club.
To read the Toledo Blade obituary, please CLICK HERE.
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