William “Bill” Clauss became the first coach to be inducted into the Cardington-Lincoln High School Athletic Hell of Fame when the ceremony was conducted Friday evening at halftime of the varsity basketball game hosting Danville.
Cardington-Lincoln High School Superintendent Brian Petrie presented the plaque to Clauss. Comments made by Joe Mills, high school principal, referred to Clauss’ attitude to serve when he was informed he was the girls’ head basketball coach. He said Clauss assisted the football coach after persistently asking (Clauss never played football). He said Clauss was always willing to help the school in areas where there was a need.
Tom Hack, the school’s athletic director, said, “Mr Clauss informed me that he felt there were more deserving people that should be inducted. To the contrary, as the first coach inducted into the Cardington-Lincoln Hall of Fame, there is no one more deserving than Bill Clauss.”
Clauss is a native of South Charleston, W. Va. and attended Ohio University.
The plaque noting his award hangs in the school’s atrium and is inscribed with the following information: “Played baseball at Ohio University 1968-1970 three MAC titles- College World Series 1970; Played Minor League Baseball in the Twins Organization, Lynchburg, Va 1973 – 1974; Coached baseball for 12 years – seven league titles, four district titles, and the 1979 OHSAA Class A State Champion team with a 28-4 record. Clauss served Cardington-Lincoln Schools are a teacher, coach, athletic director and principal for 36 years. Included were eight years when he coached girls basketball, winning three league titles and two sectional titles.”
His career was capped with the naming of the Bill Clauss field dedicated in 2016.
Attending the ceremony were Clauss’ wife, Debra and their daughter Amy and Scott Stripe of Lewis Center. Unable to be present were their daughter Betsy and Adam Biehl and daughters Skylar and Kaylynn of Fort Worth, Texas, and their son, Brian Clauss of Scottsdale, Arizona. Also attending were former students and teammates who played for Clauss.
