Honoring Coach Jack Luettke

Friday night, Whiteford will have a moment of silence for retired coach and teacher Jack Luettke, who passed away Saturday. Coach Luettke dedicated much of his life to the Whiteford community, first as a student, then student-athlete and teacher. He coached sports at Whiteford for nearly four decades, touching the lives of two generations of students with his kindness, dedication and passion. His teams won hundreds of games, championships and made deep playoff runs in both baseball and football. He fired up the student body like few others could with his legendary pep assemblies on game days. He had compassion for his students, athletes and opponents, maintaining a unique sense of humor whether it was after a tough loss or a big win. Wearing his trademark shorts on the sidelines on even the coldest of nights, Coach Luettke was a Hall of Fame coach and person. As one area athletic director said after his passing, “Jack Luettke was Whiteford through and through.”