Tim Tucker elected to OHSBCA Hall of Fame

There's just something about the name Tim Tucker and Margaretta athletics. The longtime girls basketball coach won 576 games across 36 seasons at the helm of the Polar Bears. During that time, he won 15 league championships, 13 district titles, and four regional championships. He is also the leader in wins in the area. Now, Tucker's name is among the elite of the elite. The Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association announced Friday that Tucker will be inducted into the 2025 Hall of Fame class. "It's really cool and one of the things that means a lot to the program," Tucker said. "I had a lot of good and intelligent kids. Day 1, they bought into what we were trying to do. It didn't happen overnight. It took a few years. I was blessed with good assistant coaches over the years." Tucker will be joined by Ray Corbett (Grandview Heights), Paul Wackerly (Canton GlenOak) and Scott Aronhalt (Zanesville) in the 2025 class. "It's fantastic to be honored among the best coaches ever in Ohio," Tucker said. "I'm really humbled about it. You never expect something like this when you start off. I didn't really know how long I'd stay in coaching, but I loved it. My wife supported me. My family was fanatics when it came to basketball. I was able to surround myself with really good people." Tucker was able to reflect on some of his toughest opponents during his time at Margaretta. When he first started, it was Dick Wennes at Huron. Later on, it was John Cahill's run of teams at Clyde. "Dick turned Huron into a powerhouse," Tucker said. "He was a fantastic coach and had a really nice program. I knew I had to put in a lot of time to get my program to where Dick was. John came along and put in the time too. John and I spent a lot of time talking because we both had great teams and we were never in the same division. We could help each other at tournament time." "John was one of the first to congratulate me when the news came out." Current Margaretta athletic director Drew Grahl has a long history with Tucker including his time as a student at Margaretta. "I know that coach Tucker's induction means a lot to many people in our community," Grahl said. "When you dedicate as much time and energy into a school and its students as Tim Tucker did at Margaretta, you leave a lasting impact on all kinds of students, staff members and community members. The Tucker family has done so much for so many over the years and as a result, those people are very excited about Coach Tucker being inducted into the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame." "Coach Tucker was a very popular teacher and coach at Margaretta for decades, so it is great to see him being honored at the state level." Grahl said he would have not gotten into the field of education had it not been for the opportunities Tucker gave him. "He was a tremendous mentor to me and he continues to offer help and guidance to my family all these years later while doing the same for many other past players and students," Grahl said. "This is a great example of what a true leader coach Tucker is and how important he is to so many in our community." Both Grahl and Tucker reflected on Margaretta being one of the first teams to travel out of state during the summer for team-bonding exercises as well as tough competition to help prepare for the coming winter and girls basketball season. The Polar Bears traveled to North Carolina, South Carolina, Michigan and Indiana to find the best teams to play. Tucker shared a laugh he got out of one trip to Wilmington, N.C. "I was surprised how many of the kids had never seen the ocean," Tucker said. "I still remember that. It was a blast for them. We tried to do that every year to develop the team work. It was good for the girls to be together. They're not always going to be best friends, we had to build towards being a team." Tucker, through the help of many, was able to build the Margaretta girls basketball program into the powerhouse it is today. That has laid the foundation for the success that Eric Kochendoerfer had following him, and now Ray Neill continues to have. "This honor for coach Tucker speaks volumes about how impactful the Margaretta girls' basketball program has been under his watch," Grahl said. "It truly legitimizes the program as one of the best in state history. Margaretta has been widely recognized over the years as a state power and the roots of this go solidly back to coach Tucker's leadership. He was a visionary in the sport and a coaching legend." "He left a lasting impact on the Margaretta Lady Bears program." Tucker said his biggest miss in his career was a state championship. Margaretta reached the state semifinals four times, but came up short in each appearance. "That was the ultimate goal and we never got the opportunity," Tucker said. "It was a honor just to get to state four times. That was back when there was three or four divisions and it was hard." Tucker's induction won't be until April 26, 2025 in Columbus. He will still see some games this year. A lot of the kids that were just starting out in the biddy program are in high school now including most of the current Margaretta players and some others scattered around the area. "I still know the kids," Tucker said. "I love the kids and love being around the kids. My grandkids are growing up, so I'm sure I'll be at every single one of their events here soon." Tucker acknowledged there were a countless amount of people that helped him get to this point. As he sacrificed time away from his family, his family sacrificed time without him. A father was at a basketball game every night and a husband came home to a smiling wife that understood. "Hopefully the people at Margaretta appreciate the time it took to get the program to where it was and still is," Tucker said. "I know early in my career, I got on the kids, but to get to where we needed to get to, we had to work hard. "My wife spent a lot of time in the biddy program. I was gone a lot. Back then, we scouted. We went and watched games. We didn't watch on film. I needed to see a kid play. Anytime you get selected to an elite group like this, you have to be proud of what was accomplished."