Coach Streeter retires from Gettysburg Football
Coach Streeter talks with the team after his last home game Saturday, November 4.
(Photo Claire Healey/The Gettysburgian)
By Elizabeth Hilfrank, Co-Sports Editor
Head Coach of Gettysburg College Football Barry Streeter coached his last game Saturday afternoon.
This season marked Streeter’s 42nd year with the Bullets.
Coach Streeter came to Gettysburg College in 1975 as defensive coordinator and head track and field coach. While “not a track guy,” Streeter led the Bullets to the Middle Atlantic Conference championships.
When Coach Streeter took over as head football coach in 1978, track fell to the wayside.
“I knew I wanted to coach college football when I was student teaching,” said Streeter. “I was sitting in the library writing a lesson plan, and I realized that I never wanted to stop competing. I always knew I wanted to do college.”
Streeter earned his bachelor’s degree at Lebanon Valley College, where he played tight end for the division III football team. He went on to earn his master’s degree in health and physical education from the University of Delaware while serving as a graduate assistant to the Blue Hens’ football team.
When first coming to Gettysburg, Streeter never expected to still be sitting in the same office he sits in today. But once he earned the head coach position, the college community was too hard to leave.
“It’s a tough place to leave because of the people here,” said Streeter. “By the time it got to the point that I thought I could move [kids grown], it was really going to have to be the ‘perfect thing.’ “
Aside from the people, Streeter admited that Servo keeps him around. The coach could not pick a favorite Servo meal, but he believes that there is good variety. He even had Servo cater his parents’ 50th wedding anniversary dinner.
In his time as head coach, Streeter earned three Centennial Conference Championship titles for the team and its first NCAA DIII playoff appearance. He is the longest current-tenured head coach in Division III, and, ranks eighth in current NCAA Division III coaches for best career record (193-186-5).
“In ’85 we made it to the national semi-finals,” said Streeter. “That season was remarkable, the best in school history. It’s something you really come to appreciate afterward.”
Although he says it’s hard to pick just one moment, Streeter says that this semi-final appearance is a top memory of his 42 years at Gettysburg.
Someone who stays in the same role for 39 years must really love his job, and Streeter is the quintessence of that.
“I love the opportunity to influence young men,” Streeter said. “I love the interaction with those guys. Sometimes it’s not fun disciplining them, but knowing that it will help them is a great feeling. I love the competition. I love the preparation for the competition. I love the practices.”
While being coach of a college football team has its perks, it’s not all fun and games.
Streeter spends nine hours every Sunday in his office reviewing tape from the past Saturday’s game and looking into film on the team to be faced the next week.
Having his Sundays back are something that will take some getting used to for the head coach, but retirement poses new exciting surprises for the grandpa.
“All of a sudden I have nine grandkids! And I’m just like, ‘Where did they all come from?” said Streeter.
“I don’t want to miss out on a whole bunch any more, so I’m looking forward the opportunity to be there. I’ll spend Sundays with my wife, and do stuff she actually wants to do,” Streeter said, laughing.
