Thomas Inman

Thomas Inman was a physical education teacher, coach, and athletic director for Toledo Public Schools for 41 years. Known as “Tiger Tom”, he played for the undefeated 1943 Waite High School football state championship team. Inman was also an All-City guard for the school basketball team the same year. He went on to play basketball, football, and baseball at Bowling Green State University.

Inman was hired as a physical education teacher and coach at DeVilbiss High School in 1948. He was the head basketball coach from 1955 until 1962, when he transferred to the recently opened Start High School. Inman became the Start football coach in 1962 and the school’s athletic director two years later. He was a pioneer for girls’ athletics. Inman began the Start girls track team which he led to the state championship in 1980.

Upon retirement in 1989, Tom Inman was inducted into the Ohio Track Coaches’ Hall of Fame and the track and field facilities at Start were renamed in his honor. He passed away in 2005.