Legendary Norwood High Hockey Coach Don Wheeler Resigns After 18 Years-October 7, 1980

Don Wheeler lost many of the tools he felt he needed to maintain a quality program. Now, Norwood High School has lost Don Wheeler.

Citing deep frustration over crippling budget cuts that severely impaired athletic operations, the winningest hockey coach in Norwood High history tendered his resignation to the superintendent of schools last Thursday. Wheeler submitted a detailed, two-page resignation letter that is set to go before the School Committee tomorrow night.

“It’s in their hands now,” said Wheeler. “I just want to get a clean break. I listed the reasons why I resigned in my letter to the school committee. If they wish to reveal it to the public, fine.”

“I have been unhappy for the past few years,” he continued. “I can’t coach under these conditions.”

Budget Cuts Stifle a Storied Program

The breaking point for Wheeler came as sweeping municipal and school budget reductions gutted athletic funding across the board. The fiscal cuts eliminated the freshman hockey team, drastically slashed ice time for the junior varsity squad, abolished a junior high school team—shutting roughly 20 kids out of the sport entirely—and resulted in a direct pay cut for the coaching staff.

“I had to draw the line,” Wheeler reflected. “I’ve been coaching at Norwood for 20 years. I’m hurt and disappointed, but it’s something I had to do. I didn’t have any choice.”

While the School Committee must formally vote to accept the resignation, members have indicated a desire to speak with Wheeler first. However, Wheeler considers the matter closed.

“I’m out of the picture,” he stated firmly. “I can’t see any way I’ll be coaching at Norwood this season. I expect them to accept my resignation.”

Norwood Athletic Director Art Gulla confirmed that the historic vacancy is a reality. “The job is open,” Gulla said. “I really have no idea who or when the job will be filled. The budget cuts have been across the board… All the sports have been affected by them. I knew Don was unhappy because of the declining budget.”

Wheeler, 45, a biology teacher at Norwood High, plans to take the upcoming year off from coaching and evaluate his future. “It’s too late to get a new job this year,” Wheeler noted. “I will start looking around for a possible new position next season.”

An Unrivaled Coaching Legacy

Wheeler leaves behind a legendary athletic legacy that defined Norwood High School sports for nearly two decades. A 1952 graduate of Norwood High and a 1956 graduate of Springfield College, Wheeler never endured a single losing season across his 18-year tenure as head varsity coach.

His staggering career benchmarks include:

• Overall Record: 266-54-32 (averaging 15 victories per season).
• State Championship: Coached the Mustangs to a legendary, undefeated 23-0 state championship season in 1973.
• League Dominance: Captured eight Bay State League titles, including the last five consecutively.
• Winning Streaks: Holds the Bay State League record for the longest winning streak at 39 games, alongside three undefeated regular seasons in the span of nine years.
• Post-Season Stature: Led his teams to 21 appearances at the Boston Garden for tournament play, while outscoring opponents by an astonishing five-to-one margin over 18 years.

Archival Note: This article has been dynamically reconstructed from the original public record print archives of the Patriot Ledger