Jack Branon - 2009

Wheelersburg High School

Jack Branon began his baseball coaching career at Franklin Furnace Green High School in 1970. He won 32 games in two seasons at Green, including two conference championships. He resumed coaching baseball in 1982 at Wheelersburg High School. He won seven Southern Ohio Conference championships during his 20 years at Wheelersburg, and had a 37 game winning streak and a 49 game conference winning streak during that time. His teams won a total of 325 games at Wheelersburg, giving him a total 357 victories in 22 high school seasons. Coach Branon was six times Southern Ohio Conference coach of the year and was selected to coach in five Southeast District All-Star games. His teams won twelve sectional and six district championships, and in 1996 won a regional championship and went on to win the Division III State Championship. His state championship team gave up only four runs and 14 hits in seven tournament games. Jack's teams won the State Poll Championship in Division III in 1996, 1997, and 1999. In each of those seasons Coach Branon was voted Ohio Division III Coach of Year. He coached in two Mizuno All-Ohio Series, in 1996 and 2001.He coached over 30 players who went on to make college baseball teams and coached four players who signed professional contracts, including current Major Leaguer Josh Newman of the Kansas City Royals. Jack is currently coaching the Portsmouth Post 23 American Legion team, which returned to the State Legion Tournament in 2008 after an eight year absence.

Coach Branon is retired from the Wheelersburg School District, where he taught American Government and World History. He also made four trips to the State basketball tournament as an assistant boys coach and coached in the 1997 Girls Basketball State All-Star game. He is presently coaching girl's basketball at Sciotoville Community High School.

Jack is a graduate of Cedarville College, where he was an NAIA All-District baseball player, and holds a Masters Degree in history from Marshall University. His wife, Sharon, retired as a Principal at Wheelersburg Elementary School and is currently working in curriculum development in the Sciotoville Community Schools and New Boston Schools. The Branon's have two children, Elizabeth, who resides in Florida, and Michael, a former All-Ohio player who played college baseball at The University of Rio Grande, and resides in Rio Grande. They also have two granddaughters.