Aurora – Before we go too far, I must inform you Herman Motz is a former repo man.
As far as I know, he’s the smartest, kindest, most gentle soul who ever even thought of repossessing a Chevrolet. Clearly, General Motors’ loss was Denver Public Schools’ gain.
The man went on to a long and distinguished career as an educator and coach, most of it at Thomas Jefferson High School, where he kept the Spartans among Colorado’s big-school football powers, made long-term contributions to track and field, led groups of city kids in speaking – of all things – Latin, and gave Denver schoolboys a sense of pride in Colorado’s preferred game.
He was one of the highlights of Wednesday’s Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame banquet. Motz at 76 is a well-deserved inductee who left coaching a winner – he won his second big-school title in 1989 then retired.
But back to the repo thing … fresh out of the U.S. Army in the mid-1950s with a degree in business administration, Motz discovered taking back wasn’t going to be in his future for long.
“There were better things to do than that,” Motz said.
So he went back to school to eventually go back to school as a teacher-coach.
He enjoyed 10 years at Cole Middle School before heading to TJ. In 1976, he cashed in his six years as an assistant coach for a head coaching job. It evolved into one of the storied runs in Denver history. Motz, whose teams always were good defensively and adept at power and speed rushing, compiled a 135-30-1 record, won the DPL nine times, made the state semifinals six times and earned Colorado championships in 1980 and 1989.
In fact, both championships were won when the Spartans stopped two-point conversions in the closing moments.
Remember: This was back when city ball meant something, as in also, to the rest of Colorado.
Call it a coincidence, but since Motz retired, only two DPL schools have made it to the semifinals, and only one (Montbello, 1990) has finished as high as runner-up. In Motz’s final year, three of the big-school state semifinalists were city teams.
He flourished against the likes of Bill Peay, Larry Tarver and the late Ben Gregory, other Denver coaches of note “who always had good teams to play against,” Motz said.
Indeed, it has been tough for him to watch the DPL struggle for 15 years – and counting – in the areas of poor showings against the suburbs and in the playoffs; participation; and interest. And, believe me, he has watched – Motz served as league statistician through the 2004 season, which means he watched at least 20 quarters of city ball each week of the regular season. He gladly would have done more for the playoffs.
“It has changed,” he said.
A native of Cincinnati, Motz didn’t play high school varsity football because the old St. Gregory’s didn’t have it – the Class of 1947 numbered 35. However, Motz warranted a look from pickup games, earned a scholarship and started at various positions for Xavier University, which dropped the game in 1973.
“As a sophomore, we were the No. 1 team in Ohio; as a senior, we were the worst,” Motz said.
He still laments about not being able to go overseas as a serviceman, but it led him to about a half-dozen bases, including Fort Carson, where he met his sweetheart, Patricia, a Pueblo native and nursing student.
It’s a true love story. Motz, introduced by Art Hunter, an All-American at Notre Dame in 1953, said he “saw her walking down the stairs and I walked right up to her … it was all over.”
They will be married 50 years in June and have four children and seven grandchildren.
Still an intricate part of the state coaches association, including its most significant writer, Motz commands respect but sees no reason to make a fuss.
“All of it was fun,” he said.
Motz didn’t have all the fun Wednesday. It was about time the great Hale Irwin made it, too, don’t you think? He’s a former Boulder High and University of Colorado multisport star and All-American, who continues as one of golf’s most accomplished players, including winning three U.S. Opens.
Betsy Allen (a longtime DPL multisport girls coach, who won more than 300 games in basketball); Chris Babbs (a three-sport star at East, who was voted by The Denver Post as one of Colorado’s top 10 prep athletes of the 20th century); Tom Fincken (a local NFL official, who also worked the Final Four and track and field events); and Scott Wilson (former Custer County three-sport star, who still holds 10 basketball records nearly 31 years after graduation) were inducted through sports.
For activities, Air Academy’s David Filsinger entered via music.
Darryl Miller, the DPL’s athletic trainer, was honored with distinguished service, and Motz’s lone son, Dr. Andy Motz (East’s 1980 valedictorian and a Boettcher Scholar winner), accepted the tradition award for advanced orthopedic and sports medicine specialists.
If only Herman Motz could help repo DPL’s glory days. …
Staff writer Neil H. Devlin can be reached at 303-820-1714.
