John Homon’s athletic and coaching career was defined by one thing: winning.
From his days as a lineman on Athol High School’s undefeated football team in 1962, when he was affectionately known as “Big John,” to his final season as the leader of Mount Union’s cross country team, Homon had an innate ability to secure victories across the board. Notably, Homon was also a North American arm/wrist wrestling champion, showcasing his athletic versatility.
In 1978, Homon arrived in Alliance, Ohio, after completing his master’s in physical education at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The newly appointed head coach of men’s cross country and track & field at Mount Union wrapped up his undergraduate work at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, after serving in the Vietnam War as a medic.
Homon guided the Purple Raiders to remarkable success in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Out of the 93 combined team titles awarded by the OAC in cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field during his tenure, Homon’s teams captured an impressive 54 titles. Mount Union topped the podium 21 times in indoor track & field, 19 times in outdoor track & field, and 14 times in cross country. The Purple Raiders also racked up 503 individual titles at the OAC Championships with an even 500 coming in track & field.
Under Homon’s watch, the Purple Raiders excelled on the national stage, too. Mount Union athletes secured an astounding 42 national championships and earned 204 All-America honors, with many of these accolades coming in outdoor events. Notable Homon-coached athletes included Dave Cooper and Shawn Watson. Cooper won both the 5000-meter and 10,000-meter titles in consecutive years at the NCAA DIII Outdoor Championships. Watson dominated the horizontal jumps, soaring to five NCAA crowns – including an unprecedented outdoor long-jump four-peat from 1996 to 1999, which has yet to be matched by any athlete in NCAA history.
Cooper and Watson led the Purple Raiders to an impressive four-year streak where they reached the NCAA podium both indoors and outdoors. Mount Union finished runner-up in 1996 and 1999, achieving the team’s best finishes under Homon’s guidance.
Homon was named NCAA DIII National Coach of the Year three times: 1997 and 1998 for indoor track & field; 2006 in outdoor track & field. Additionally, Homon was bestowed Regional Coach of the Year honors three times during his illustrious career.