Jerry Welsh

Gerald Wayne Welsh (born April 1950) is a Canadian former ice hockey player, and college ice hockey head coach at Ohio State University. He is a 2008 inductee of the Oshawa Sports Hall of Fame as both a player and a builder.

Career as player

NCAA Born in Oshawa, Ontario, Welsh played college ice hockey at Ohio State from 1969 to 1973. In 1971–72, Welsh led the team with 28 goals helping the Buckeyes earn their first and only Central Collegiate Hockey Association regular season title and the school's first CCHA tournament title. In three of Welsh's four years at Ohio State, he was voted the team's most valuable player.

Professional Following college, Welsh played briefly for the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the World Hockey Association for his former Ohio State coach Harry Neale in 1973. He spent the next two seasons (1973–75) in the North American Hockey League. In 1974–75, Welsh was alternate captain and second-leading scorer for the NAHL's Johnstown Jets that won the Lockhart Cup playoffs. The team and championship served as the inspiration for the movie Slap Shot.

Career as coach Following his playing career in minor league hockey, Welsh, at just 25 years old, was hired as head coach at Ohio State in 1975. Welsh brought stability to an Ohio State program that had seen five different coaches in 11 seasons. Under Welsh, Ohio State finished in second place in the CCHA five times in six seasons between 1979 and 1984. The Buckeyes finished the 1978–79, 1979–80, 1982–83, and 1983–84 seasons nationally ranked in the top ten.

Despite success on the ice, Welsh was one of the lowest-paid head coaches in NCAA Division I ice hockey in 1984. Ohio State was also the only CCHA program without a full-time assistant coach.

Personal Welsh married the former Paula Konesny. Together, the couple owned and operated Garden Grove Bed & Breakfast in Union Pier, Michigan until they sold it in 2020.

Head coaching record

† Welsh resigned in January after losing 6 consecutive games.

Awards and honours Award Year CCHA All-Tournament Team 1972