Bob Lutz may have written the final chapter to his legendary novel known as Ironton Fighting Tiger football.

Lutz, the second-winningest coach in Ohio high school football history, announced he was retiring after 37 seasons including 34 at Ironton.

With a record of 341 wins, just 71 losses and five ties, Lutz is only 19 wins behind all-time leader Terry Malone for the most wins in Ohio history.

“I said before the season that this was going to be my final year,” Lutz said. “We said when we got into this that it wasn’t for the records or the awards. It was about players and about winning.”

Lutz said he didn’t care about records and still doesn’t know how many games he has won during his career. But by putting up so many wins, the records fell into place.

Ironton had a record 64-game regular season unbeaten streak and his teams qualified for 24 postseason playoff appearances, second on the all-time list.

Besides winning state championships in 1979 and 1989, Ironton also finished as state runners-up six times. His teams were voted Associated Press poll champions on four occasions.

After going

20-8-1 and winning two Ohio Valley Conference championships at Ironton St. Joseph, his alma mater, Lutz went to Ironton in 1972. He is 321-63-4 at Ironton.

Ironton lost its first two games under Lutz and then finished the season with eight straight wins. The Fighting Tigers went unbeaten in 1973 and did not lose until the state championship game.

During his tenure, Lutz has coached such Division I college players are Ken Fritz, Joe Fletcher, Tim Hodges, Gabriel Lewis, Jermon Jackson, Walt Delong, Mike Southers, Bobby Brice, Heath Brownstead, Delandual Conwell, J.D. Cyrus, J.D. Coffman, Craig Pleasant, James Taylor, Jason Harmon, Reggie Arden, Troy Sands, Robert Clay, Mike Smith, Rick Ferguson, Jimmy Morris, Dennis Bacon, Rick Massie, Darius Lewis, Mark Lutz and current Marshall head football coach Mark Snyder.

“I was fortunate to always have good athletes and good assistant coaches,” Lutz said. “Our fan support has been second to none. You have to have the support of the parents and the community to have any kind of success.”

Lutz was inducted into the Ohio High School Football Coaches Associated Hall of Fame in 2003. He was the head coach of the South team in the annual North/South All-Star Game in 1987.