Jim Cutri, '83

Jim graduated from Erie Strong Vincent HS in 1936 and won a scholarship to play football and basketball for Edinboro University.  Before coming to Beaver, Coach Cutri taught and coached at Girard HS, where his football teams won 4 county league championships, winning 21 straight games.  His basketball teams won 4 straight county league championships. 

At Beaver, Jim taught Physical Education and Driver’s Training at the HS for 29 years.  He coached the Bobcats in football for 11 years, basketball for 16 years and track & field for 11 years.  His 1960/1961 basketball team was the first ever to win a section title for Beaver.  Coach Ed Snitger played on that great team.

Every Beaver record was broken during his 11 years of coaching the track & field team.  His coaching record was 57-11-1.  His teams were undefeated in dual meets during 4 of those years.  The Beaver track team won the prestigious Midland Invitational Track Meet an unprecedented 6 out of those 11 years.  In addition, Jim was the Director of the BASD Summer Recreational Program for 16 years. 

Coach Cutri taught graduate classes at Penn State, Beaver Campus.  He served his community for 17 years as a Vanport Commissioner and was a Boy Scout Merit Badge Counselor for over 20 years.  The Beaver Area Education Foundation has presented the Jim and Ruth Cutri Memorial Scholarship Award for the last 18 years to worthy seniors who have demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship.

Coach Cutri and his wife, Ruth, had their 4 children, 4 of their grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren graduate from Beaver Area HS, and 2 more great-grandchildren will be graduating from Beaver in the next few years.

Coach Cutri is a member of the BASD Coaches Wall of Fame (2002), the Beaver Co. Sports Hall of Fame (1997), and the Edinboro University Athletic Hall of Fame (1997).  This year, Coach’s legacy was honored by having the new track and sports complex named the Jim Cutri Athletic Complex.