Born in Wheeling W. Va., on January 19, 1950, Lew Lowery grew up on Youngstown's East Side and learned at a very early age how important the game of football would be to him. The valuable lesson that it takes teamwork if you are to be successful both on the field and in life began to take shape, and as he looks back he thanks the many coaches he had along the way for shaping his character. He credits his time spent at YSU as some of his most cherished and looks back on his days with the Penguin football program among his fondest of memories.
Considered one of the hardest hitters to lace up a pair of spikes for the penguins and late Dwight "Dike' Beede (his only collegiate coach), he began to play organized football at Sacred Heart Grade School (1956-63) where was tutored by area coaching great Bob Comming and Nick Johnson.
He attended nearby attended nearby Ursuline High School and played for the legendary Tom Carey, one of the most respected scholastic coaches statewide and currently a member of YSU's Penguin Club Staff. It was as a Fighting Irish team that he was chosen team captain, and "Most Valuable" offensive and defensive lineman. He also earned both All-City and All-Neo laurels, and was inducted into that school's Hall of Fame.
As a Penguin, he started from the day he stepped foot on campus and earned four letters while during his freshmen and sophomore campaigns, he played on both sides of the football, rarely taking a breather during the action. He was a linebacker and guard as a frosh, then the following year remained a linebacker on defense but was then was switched to center offensively
It was as a junior that he became specialized, concentrating on center duties offensively while as a senior, went to the defensive side of the ball once again played tackle during his final collegiate campaign.
He graduated from YSU in 1973 with a BS in Education degree, and began teaching at Sacred Heart School that same year. He moved to Ursuline school from 1974-81, serving as an assistant football coach from 1974-79 and head wrestling coach from 1980-81.
He moved on to Ashtabula St. John High School in 1982 and was named head football coach in 1983. In 1987 moved over to Mineral Ridge High School where he has taught both Anatomy and Biology, and served as head football coach and track and field coach ever since.
From 1987, to the 1995 campaign, he has posted a 45-35 overall mark with an Inter-County League Championship in 1990. The Trumbull County "Coach of the Year" and The Valley Playbook Division IVV "Coach of the Year" in 1990, he has led the Rams to the I.C.L track and field championship four times (1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993), a District championship in 1991, 1992 and 1995, a Regional championship in 1995 and earned Trumbull County "Coach of the Year" laurels in both 1992 and 1994.
He is married to the former Monica Taylor, and they are the parents of four children; Patte and Missy, both YSU students, and Mike and Dan, both football players at Mineral Ridge High School.
