Clyde picks Leuthold as football coach

Eric Leuthold is taking a step up in competition. After coaching Port Clinton for the past four seasons in the Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division, he will move up the Lake Division when the Northern Ohio Conference begins play next season. Leuthold was named the new head football coach at Clyde on Friday. He will be recommended to the board of education at its next meeting Monday, Feb. 23. "In the coaching world, everybody understands what Clyde football is and what it means to be a Flier," Leuthold said. "I'm excited to continue the tradition. The opportunity presented itself to me and it seemed like something I owed to myself to investigate. "Ultimately, my family and I thought I should look into it." Leuthold, 34, was 18-25 in his four seasons at the helm of the Redskins, but last year was his most successful. Port Clinton went 7-5, winning a playoff game for the first time since Beau Carmon's run to the state semifinals in 2021. The Redskins opened the 2025 season with a win over St. Paul and defeated Edison twice, including in the first round of the state playoffs. Leuthold thanked the Port Clinton administration for taking a chance on a then-30-year-old coach when he took over the Redskins program in 2022. "We are excited about the energy and vision coach Leuthold brings to our football program," Clyde Green-Springs superintendent Lucas Messer said. "His dedication to building relationships with student-athletes and fostering a culture of discipline and excellence will serve our students and community well." Leuthold is a graduate of Colonel Crawford High School and Bowling Green State University. When he was hired at Port Clinton, it was his first head coaching position. Before landing at Port Clinton, Leuthold worked as a middle school athletic director at Liberty-Benton while serving as offensive coordinator for Wapakoneta. He also coached at Liberty-Benton and Ridgedale. Leuthold's wife is from Oak Harbor and together, they have four children ages 10, 7, 5 and 3. "I have a lot of respect for the league, both the Lake and the Bay," Leuthold said. "It's definitely steeper competition. I'm excited for the challenge." Leuthold will have big shoes to fill with the success Clyde has had over the last decade-plus. The Fliers were 108-46 in Ryan Carter's 13 seasons as head coach. Clyde won the Division IV state championship and made the playoffs in all 13 seasons of Carter's tenure. Clyde was just 4-6 in the regular season last year before an overtime playoff loss to rival Bellevue. "I have a lot of respect for coach Carter," Leuthold said. "I admired his career from afar. We competed against each other the last couple years. It will definitely be a challenge to fill those shoes. We want to continue that tradition and build upon it." Speaking of Bellevue, Leuthold's first game as Clyde's head coach will come against the Route 20 rival Redmen. The two open the 2026 season Aug. 21 at Bellevue Athletic Field. "I have a lot of respect for Bellevue and the program they have there," Leuthold said. "We played them every year I was at Port Clinton and they do a great job at what they do. It will be a great opportunity to open up with them next season."