Jim Dennison
He is the most winning football coach at The University of Akron, one of the many firsts in his coaching career. During Dennison's 13 seasons (1973-85) at the helm of the UA football program, he was the first coach to win 10 games in one season; the first to win a post-season game; the first to play for a national championship, the first to be named Ohio Coach-of-the-Year, and the first to be named National Coach-of-the-Year. All of the above firsts came in the memorable 1976 season in which UA compiled a 10-3 record and finished national runner-up to Montana State for the NCAA II title. In 1982, he was selected as Co-Coach of the Year in the Ohio Valley Conference. His UA record reads 80 wins, 62 losses and two ties. He developed 32 All-American players during his 21-year coaching career at UA. A native of Medina County, Dennison was the Dapper Dan Man-of-the-Year in 1977 and has been inducted into six hall of fames, including UA's in 1987.