Photo Legend: John Wilce

The career path of John Wilce is like nothing we will likely see again. After serving as a high school coach and assistant at Wisconsin, Wilce became the head coach at Ohio State in their inaugural Big Ten season of 1913. His coaching career ended in 1928 when he opted to step down so he could focus on a career as a medical professor.

His 16 year career as Ohio State's head coach saw him win 69% of his games and three Big Ten titles. He also took the Buckeye Nation on their first trip to Pasadena, playing in the Rose Bowl following the 1920 season. Ohio State didn't return until 1950. Wilce is credited with generating much of the enthusiasm for the Ohio State football program that still persists today. The school's fight song, "Across the Field," was written as a tribute to Wilce. Wilce became a member of the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954. Upon his resignation as head coach Wilce commented, "Football was becoming too much of a business. The game was being taken away from the boys. I was a faculty-type coach who believed educational aspects were more important than winning games."

It was that mentality that launched a great career in medical education. Wilce spent the rest of his career as a professor of preventative medicine at Ohio State. He also served as Director of Student Health Services from 1934 to 1958. The John W. Wilce Student Health Center was built on campus in 1969. Wilce specialized in the research and treatment of heart diseases. Ironically, complications of that disease led to his death in 1963.