Tom Talbott was a good athlete at Stivers playing football for 4 years and basketball one year. Tom, however, made his mark in athletics as a teacher and coach. Tom served 27 years as an assistant coach in football and was a head coach with 40 years in wrestling. Throughout those years, he was recognized as a hard working innovator of wrestling and a coach who effectively motivated student athletes.
Talbott began his head coaching career at Belmont High School (1961-1966) and helped develop Southwestern Ohio wrestling. He moved to Huron High School for 7 years, Toledo Devilbiss for 1 year, Cardinal Stritch for 9 years, Uniontown Lake for 13 years, Huber Heights for 1 year and 4 years in Florida.
During those 40+ years, Talbott coached 9 state champions and had a career 285 dual meet wins which ranks him 14th in all time wins. His teams won 16 league championships, 16 sectional championships and 9 districts championships. His teams at Huron and Stritch and Union-town Lake finished as one of the top teams in Ohio 13 times and top four eight times. Tom has been enshrined in the above schools Halls of Fame along with the Ohio Wrestling, the Greater Miami Valley, Stark County and Greater Toledo Halls of Fame. Tom was the Ohio Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1971 and was elected President of the Ohio Wrestling Coaches Association for 2 years. It should also be mentioned that Tom has been nominated to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Ohio Chapter in Stillwell, Oklahoma.
Talbott graduated from the Ohio State University and obtained a masters degree from Xavier University. He married his high school sweetheart, Gale Albright (Stivers 1955). They have 3 children, Marty Wagner (daughter) a graduate of University of Toledo, Casey Talbott (son), a graduate of The Ohio State University School of Law and Todd (son), state wrestling champ in 1978. Tom and Gale now live in The Villages, FL.