NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. (WUTR/WFXV/WPNY) – Today the Utica area lost one of its’ pillars of high school sport in the community, as legendary New Hartford football coach Don Edick died at the age of 91.

The now-namesake of New Hartford’s athletic field, Edick spent over 30 years in the district coaching the Spartans baseball and football teams starting in 1960 and serving as athletic director for a five-year stretch from 1976 to 1981.

He was named to the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 as a coach/manager, having led New Hartford to a 114-46-6 record in his time as head coach, accumulating four straight sectional titles, seven division championships, three undefeated teams and 32 straight league wins. His teams were also ranked number two in New York state in 1989 and number four in 1988.

He is remembered by those who played both for and against him as a coach, Kevin Miller, Whitesboro class of 1987, said of playing against Coach Edick’s teams, “He coached well respected, intense, knowledgeable and prepared teams in one of the toughest conferences in New York state, teams that clearly took on the characteristics of their leader and coach.”

Edick was a graduate of Rome Free Academy and Dayton University and was a veteran, having spent three years in the Marines.