Retired Coach Dick Tighe, of Webster City, stands on the Lynx football field in 2017, right after he published his memoir, “Coach Tighe: 63 Years of High School Football.” He still tracks the local teams, and loves the beginning of football season.

Coach Dick Tighe is pictured with some of his football memorabilia in 2017.

Tighe helped maintain Webster City as a perennial contender for three decades before resurrecting the St. Edmond program in Fort Dodge, highlighted by a run to the state championship game in 2013.

At the time of his retirement in 2016, Tighe sat atop the state’s career list for coaching wins with 432. He concluded a 63-year stint on the sidelines with a record of 432-167-8 including stops at Iowa Falls-Alden, Carroll Kuemper and Hamilton Catholic in Canada.

“Very sad to hear of Coach Tighe’s passing,” David Flattery, the current St. Edmond activities director and a former player for Tighe, said. “He transformed the lives of so many young men. His simplistic coaching philosophy was brilliant. It was no coincidence that he found success on the field wherever he went.

“A St. Edmond legend. A high school football legend. Rest in peace.”

Tighe’s first coaching opportunity came with St. Edmond in 1961, going 4-4. Over 40 years later, he would return to the school, compiling a record of 108-48. That run was highlighted by 25 wins between 2013-14 and a second appearance in the state semifinals after reaching the championship game.

In his first season back, the Gaels snapped a 21-game losing streak, winning three games. By 2004, they would go 8-2, reaching the state quarterfinals a year later while finishing 11-1.

Over the next 10 seasons, St. Edmond would have nine winning records, including a 13-1 run to the finals where they fell to powerhouse Iowa City Regina.

“His philosophy of keeping football simple, get good at a certain few plays/formations and run them over and over again until they stop you seemed crazy in the day of more formations and trick offenses were becoming the norm,” said Mike Johnson, who coached with Tighe and is a member of the St. Edmond school board. “He was a running game genius. Sometimes I wonder if football would be a better game if we brought back some of his philosophy that more isn’t necessarily better.”

Tighe spent 31 seasons total at Webster City, winning 220 games during that time. The Lynx would win 13 conference titles between 1967-1991.

“I am the man I am today because of Coach Tighe,” Pat Tate, Lynx class of 1971 said about his old mentor. “He taught me how to believe I could always be better.”

He added: “I do have a story I remember about our Spencer game. I got flagged two or three times for illegal procedure. I was moving my right foot when we were set. How he taught me not to move my right foot.”

“Not much of a story, but I remember students (not me, of course), getting Coach Tighe to talk about sports,” said Jackie Caquelin. “He would get carried away, and the test scheduled for that day would be postponed!”

“He was my driver’s ed teacher,” Cheryl (Day) Smith said. “Last day of class, we got to drive to our house. I lived on Bluff Street, so I had to make a right on the hill to turn left towards our house. He told me I would never drive because I scared him. That was 52 years ago and I am still driving.”

Tim McKinney, of Webster City, was on one of his teams.

“(He) always had a hard time with getting names right in football. Always easier to just refer to you by your number!”

Tighe followed his years in Webster City with a five-year stint at Iowa Falls-Alden as a co-head coach before finishing his second run with the Gaels.

Tighe’s 63 seasons as a high school head coach tied South Carolina legend John McKissick for most in the country at the time of his retirement. Jerry Pezzetti, who surpassed Tighe for most wins, tied that mark last year and is set to surpass it this coming fall.

Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Tighe served in the Army for two years after graduating from Notre Dame. Tighe married Margot Daly in 1953 and they had six children together.

Margot passed away in 2012.

In 2014, he married Wyn Allen.