Milford football coach Tom Grippa retires after 49-year career
The 70-year-old coach finished his 10-season tenure at Milford High School with 57 wins and a career record of 233-150.
By Daniel Parker ·
Milford High School head football coach Tom Grippa announced his retirement Friday afternoon, ending a 49-year career in the sport. The 70-year-old coach concluded his 10th season at the program with a 57-51 record and seven playoff appearances.
Grippa becomes the winningest coach in the school's history. Milford athletic director Mark Trout said the school is appreciative of the decade Grippa spent leading the football program. Trout, who hired Grippa, noted that the coach elevated the Eagles into a regular contender in a top conference and restored the program's prominence in Southwest Ohio.
Grippa's impact began in his first year. The 2017 team finished 8-3 and advanced to the Ohio High School Athletic Association playoffs for the first time since 1986. That group captured a share of the Eastern Cincinnati Conference title. The following season, the Eagles went 9-3 and secured the program's first playoff win with a comeback victory over Fairfield.
The program peaked in 2023. Grippa's squad completed a 10-0 regular season and won the outright Eastern Cincinnati Conference championship. The Eagles defeated Fairfield in the first round of the playoffs before losing to Mason in the second round. Grippa received the Cincinnati Bengals' Paul Brown Excellence in Coaching Award and the ECC Coach of the Year honor that year.
Over his tenure, the program produced 11 All-Ohio honorees and 80 All-ECC performers. Nearly 50 players advanced to college football. In a statement, Grippa said his fondest memories involve the relationships he built with assistants and players rather than specific wins or championships. He thanked the coaches and athletes he worked with over four decades.
Before joining Milford, Grippa served as head coach at Elder, Fairfield, and La Salle. He also worked as an assistant at Mount St. Joseph University for four years. The Milford district said the search for his successor will begin immediately. The Eagles finished the 2026 season with a 1-9 record, including a 1-8 mark in conference play.
Grippa retires with a career head coaching record of 233-150. He remains one of the longest-tenured coaches in Greater Cincinnati, having coached since the 1980s.
Source: WCPO-TV
