Salem University Athletics

A 1962 graduate, Cuppett played football for four years under Coach Underwood. While at Salem, he was married with two children, worked part-time during the school year and full-time during the summer in the mines. He was selected to All-WVIAC teams three times and was selected to the All-Time WVIAC football team (1924-1974) in 1974.

After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in education, Cuppett went on to teach social studies and physical education at the junior and senior high levels in Ohio, where he also coached basketball, football and golf and was an athletic director for 16 years. His overall record for coaching three sports in two states over thirty years is 404-151-2, and his teams won or were runners-up for 45 sectional, districts, regional and/or state championships. Eight of his teams received top 10 rankings in the state.

Over his career, he has been honored with numerous awards, including the Education Emeritus Award by the Chillicothe Education association, the Ohio Capital Conference Athletic Administrator’s Hall of Fame, the Chillicothe High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches’ Hall of Fame, He was also honored by the Mayor of Chillicothe in 1993 with a day named in his honor. He has also won “Man of the Year: and Teacher of the Year’ awards.