ELYRIA, Ohio — He’s won championships, been named Coach of the Year and is considered one of the winningest coaches in school history, but Elyria Catholic’s Bob Guinta is also remembered for his impact off the court.
The legendary basketball coach died Feb. 1 at age 94. During his career, which spanned two decades from the late '60s through the '80s, he won 329 games.
“It wasn’t that we had great players,” said Bill Samek. “We had a great coach.”
The 1968 graduate recalled Guinta’s style as starkly contrasting previous coaches.
“He treated us with respect. He put people in the positions they should be in and people started to like him right away,” Samek recalled.
1980 graduate Billy Jo Williams agreed.
“You want to be feared or loved. I think Bob liked to be loved. He was,” he laughed.
On the court, the alumni said Guinta was known for his demeanor and level-headedness.
“He was always calm, collected, classy. That’s what he should be remembered for - even above winning and losing. It was how he handled himself,” Williams said.
A longtime history teacher, Guinta also won over students off the court.
“Everybody wanted to be in Bob’s class because he’d tell jokes and sing,” said Samek.
When it came time to refinish the hardwood in the high school Colosseum, school leaders and alumni agreed it should be dedicated to Guinta. His name and signature are emblazoned on the floor.
“We honor what he has done here, and he lived a full life here, and he will go on being celebrated here,” said Elyria Catholic President Annie Heidersbach.
She explained that Guinta had seen the refurbished court before his passing. His impact was evident in her interactions with the former coach and his former students and players.
“You might think, ‘Oh, it was just basketball players that spoke so highly of him.’ But it was everybody that was here that was here while Coach Guinta was here. He impacted athletes and students that were not athletes,” she said. “[I think it was] his energy, his sincere interest in the individual student, the comments that he would make about how somebody could pursue a goal.”
Former players told News 5 that Guinta imparted life lessons outside of basketball.
“One thing I learned from Bob is how to treat people,” Samek said.
Williams added, “He was just very influential for the kids that played for him, for the program, for the face of the school, everyone. Even adversaries loved him.”
Heidersbach said the coach and teacher personified the school’s values.
“Excellence, compassion, faith, tradition and community: Coach Guinta embodied all of those five pillars,” she said.
The school has established a Coach Guinta Endowment Fund to maintain the court that bears his name.
Contributions can be made online at Coach Guinta Endowment Fund by CLICKING HERE.
Donations can also be sent to:
Elyria Catholic High School
Attention: Coach Bob Guinta Endowment Fund
725 Gulf Road, Elyria, Ohio 44035
