Oberlin College Athletics

Russell W. Spicer, Class of 1947, earned three varsity letters in baseball and two in football at Oberlin College. Though he was selected as the baseball team’s captain for three different seasons (1943, 1944, 1947), military service prevented him from fulfilling that role in 1944. Spicer earned his bachelor’s degree in health and physical education from Oberlin in 1947. Subsequently, he attended Temple University, where he earned a master’s degree in 1953. After a two-year stint in the minor leagues as a professional baseball player, Spicer began a long and fruitful career as a teacher and coach.

Spicer coached for forty-two years, primarily at Haddonfield High School in New Jersey. His teams garnered an impressive number of victories and championships during his tenure. As a football coach, he amassed a record of 123 wins and 58 losses and won six conference championships and five South Jersey Group championships. On the baseball diamond, Spicer recorded an impressive 603-287 career coaching record. His teams won 15 conference championships, three New Jersey State Group championships, and one All-Group South Jersey championship.

The venerable Spicer has received numerous honors and awards for his accomplishments. In 1990, he was inducted into both the South Jersey Football Coaches Hall of Fame and the South Jersey Baseball Hall of Fame. Nine years later, Spicer became a member of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Hall of Fame, and in 2000 he was honored as South Jersey Baseball Coach of the Century. The following year, Haddonfield High School named its baseball facility the Russ Spicer Diamond.