John Leipheimer
Jack Leipheimer was an outstanding high school and college athlete who went on to become nationally recognized as a coach and administrator.
At Hickory High School, he was a superb player in both football and baseball. He went on to Thiel College, where he shined on the gridiron.
He was a four-year letter winner for the Tomcats in football and member of the 1972 Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship team. He earned 2nd team All-PAC at tight end. He was also a three-year letterman in baseball.
Jack turned to high school football coaching and served at Bullis (Potomac, MD), Trinity (Garfield, Ohio) and then Kennedy Christian, 1979-84.
He served as assistant coach at Allegheny College from 1984-2000, most of it as defensive coordinator. His defenses posted 22 shutouts and had 70 all-conference players and 22 All-Americans. He helped the teams win 6 conference titles and the 1990 NCAA Division III National Championship.
He took over the head coaching reins at his alma mater Thiel and served in that position from 2001-2008. His overall record of 36-46 was tied for third most wins at the school, but most importantly he turned the program around by posting a 23-9 mark from 2004-05-06. Highlight was a 10-0 regular season in 2005, the first unbeaten year since 1950.
That 2005 team made the school’s first ever appearance in the NCAA
Division III Playoffs, where the Tomcats went 1-1. They were ranked in the Top 20 nationally on three different polls and Jack was honored as PAC coach of the year.
Under his tutelage, he produced 124 All-Conference picks and 11 All-Americans. They tied or set 56 school records.
He served as Thiel director of athletics from 2008 to 2016 and had numerous accomplishments including: added 5 intercollegiate programs; 514 student-athletes earned PAC Academic Honor Roll recognition; raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for athletic department; new turf installation at Alumni Stadium; several facility renovations; construction of Rissell-Schreyer Dome, air-supported structure; new track and field facility.
His ability was recognized by being selected to serve on the NCAA Division III Football National Committee.
The infield at the Thiel College Track and Field Complex was named the Jack Leipheimer ’74 Field. He was inducted into the Thiel College Hall of Fame in 2024.
His father, Bob, was enshrined in the MC Hall of Fame in 2002.