Cliff Hite
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cliff Hite is an American high school teacher and coach who currently represents the Findlay area in the Ohio House of Representatives. He was elected to his first term in November 2006 running as a Republican with the slogan "Hite is Right" and took office in January 2007.
Hite currently is on four standing committees and is the vice chair of the State Government and Elections committee. [1]
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[edit] Education
Cliff Hite graduated from Findlay High School in 1972. Hite obtained his B.S. degree from the University of Kentucky in 1977 in Secondary Studies with an emphasis in social studies.[2]
[edit] Teacher
Upon graduating from UK, Hite served in four school districts as teacher. From 1977 to 1980, Hite taught in Danville, Kentucky at Danville High School. In 1980, Hite returned to Findlay for the first of three years as a teacher at Findlay High School. Hite spent from 1983 to 1996 teaching at Bryan High School in Bryan, Ohio. In 1996, Hite returned to Findlay High School where he remained until 2006 when he was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives.[2]
[edit] H.S. Coach
Hite served variously as baseball, football and track coaches during his years as a teacher.
[edit] Football Coach
Cliff Hite served as assistant football coach at Danville High School and at Findlay High School before getting his first head coaching position at Bryan High School in 1983. Hite served as Bryan High School football coach for his entire tenure before accepting the head coaching job at Findlay High School in 1996. Hite coached at FHS until 2005. [1]
Hite garnered a 149-89 record as coach at Findlay High School, winning eight league championships and becoming the Toledo Blade Coach of the year in 1986 and 1997.
The decisions which probably garnered Hite the most national attention during his coaching tenure were those surrounding Ben Roethlisberger, now the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. [2] [3]
Roethlisberger did not play quarterback until his senior year of 1999-2000, giving way to the Cliff Hite's son, Ryan Hite. Instead, Roethlisberger played wide receiver because coach Hite explained to the Toledo Blade, "My son throwing to Ben was a better combination."
In a twist of irony, Roethslisberger played college quarterback at Division I Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Roethlisberger holds every major passing record at the school and a number of passing records in the Mid-American Conference despite the fact that he only played for three years. Ryan Hite, meanwhile, played college wide receiver at Division III Denison University where he set numerous receiving records.
Roethlisberger threw for 4,041 yards, 54 touchdowns and seven interceptions in his one season as quarterback at Findlay. The younger Hite threw for 1,732 yards, 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in the year preceding Roethlisberger's quarterbacking debut.
Hite told the Toledo Blade regarding the decision to start his son at quarterback over Roethlisberger: "I'm a nationally known knucklehead."
