John C. Nese

John C. Nese, 78, of Steubenville died Thursday, July 6, 2017 at his home. He was born December 24, 1938 in East Pittsburgh, PA, son of the late John and Mildred Lutch Nese.

In a career that spanned more than five decades, Nese was a teacher, guidance counselor, coach, official and broadcaster.

A 1956 graduate of East Pittsburgh High School, Nese was a three-year basketball letterman and also starred in baseball. As a senior, he was Section 16 Basketball Player of the Year, leading his team to the State Class B Finals. He attended Steubenville College where he earned a B.S. in Social Studies and was a four-year basketball letterman. Under legendary coach Hank Kuzma, Nese's 1957-58 team went 24-1 and was named the #1 small college team in the country. Co-captain his senior year, Nese received the team's most improved and best defensive player awards.

His career in education spanned 54 years, first as a social studies teacher at Follansbee (WV) St. Anthony High School in 1960. He took a similar position at his alma mater, East Pittsburgh High School, in 1961, and then Steubenville Catholic Central High School in 1963. Nese earned an M.S. from the University of Dayton in counseling in 1975, then spent five years as guidance counselor and history teacher at S.C. Dennis Junior High in Toronto. After a year in alumni relations at the Franciscan University, he returned to Steubenville Catholic Central as a guidance counselor in 1981. He took a similar position at East Liverpool High School in 1990, then finished his educational career as guidance counselor at Indian Creek Junior High and Middle School from 1995 until retirement in 2014.
 

For more than 30 years, Nese coached boys high school basketball, baseball, and golf, and girls high school and junior high basketball. In his first head coaching job at Follansbee St. Anthony, his boys basketball team won the West Virginia Catholic League Class B title in 1961. After two years as assistant basketball and baseball coach at East Pittsburgh, he took over as head baseball and basketball coach at Steubenville Catholic Central in 1963. In ten seasons, his boys basketball teams were 120-87, capturing three sectional and three district titles. In 1971, he was voted Eastern Ohio and Eastern District AA Coach of the Year. His 1972-73 team, with a school-best 22-2 record, won the OVAC title, and he was elected co-coach of the U.S. All-Stars in the 1973 Dapper Dan Roundball Classic in Pittsburgh. From 1963 to 1975, his baseball teams were 197-77 overall, winning seven sectional, five district, one regional, and one OVAC title, and finishing as state runner-up in 1965. His 1974 team had a school-best 24-4 record.

Nese returned to coaching from 1987-90 as head coach of the Steubenville Catholic Central girls basketball team. In three seasons, his teams were 56-10, winning two sectional and two OVAC titles. He was twice voted Eastern District and District 5 Girls Basketball Coach of the Year. Then, for nine seasons from 1995 to 2007, he coached the Indian Creek Junior High girls basketball team, compiling a 116-40 overall record. In the 2004-05 season, his 7th grade team was 17-0, and in 2005-06 and 2006-07, his 8th grade teams also went a perfect 17-0.

For more than 25 years, Nese officiated high school baseball and softball, working two regional and two state OHSAA baseball tournaments and twelve regional and ten state OHSAA softball tournaments. He also served as an instructor with the Steubenville Umpires Association. In addition, Nese's broadcasting career spanned more than 30 years, doing play-by-play and color commentary for local high school football and basketball and American Legion baseball.

Nese was elected to six Halls of Fame: the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (1981), the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame - East Boros Chapter (1986), the OHSAA Officials Hall of Fame (1998), the District 5 Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2006), the Franciscan University of Steubenville Hall of Fame (2008), and the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame (2016). He also was recognized with numerous awards, including the Fr. Matthew Finnegan Alumni Athletic Award and Fr. Terence Henry Baron Club Award from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and several Awards of Merit from the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio General Assembly.

Surviving are his wife Clara "Marlene" Grantonic Nese, whom he married September 3, 1960; two sons, Jon Michael (Gwen) of Boalsburg, PA and Glenn (LaDonna) of Steubenville; two daughters, Kathleen Hoagland of Brilliant and Mary Lynn (David) DiSilva of Wallingford, PA; one brother Angelo (Margie) Nese of West Mifflin, PA; one sister Patricia Matovich of North Versailles, PA; and ten grandchildren, John, Robert, Katherine, Kaitlyn, Andrew, Karlie, Rachel, Abigail, Cosmo and Marlo. Calling hours will be Monday from 6-8 pm and Tuesday 2-4 and 6-8 pm at the Mosti Funeral Home, Sunset Chapel, 4435 Sunset Blvd., Steubenville. A funeral liturgy with Mass will be celebrated 10 am Wednesday at Holy Rosary Catholic Church, Fr. Ryan Grey, celebrant. Entombment will be at Mt. Calvary Cemetery. There will be vigil service Tuesday at 7:45 pm. Memorial contributions may be made to Steubenville Catholic Central High School, 320 West View, Steubenville, OH 43952. Offer condolences at www.mostifuneralhome.com

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