Scott Tinsley WV Obituary, dead at 62, remembered for being ahead of his time as offensive mind
Innovative offensive minds are all the rage in today’s football landscape. Longtime football fans across West Virginia know Scott Tinsley to be among the first. Many are now mourning the death of Tinsley after he passed away Tuesday at the age of 62.
“He was an incredible offensive mind. He was ahead of his time,” said Bob Gobel, who hired Tinsley as offensive coordinator at WVU Tech in 1989. That season, Tech won its first conference title in 40 years. “The thing about him that’s incredible to me to this day is how he could see things on the field that nobody else could.”
Tinsley’s strategic genius spanned decades and levels. As an assistant at Nitro High School in 1998, he helped guide a record-setting offense to a state championship. As a head coach at Nitro, WVU Tech, and West Virginia State, his teams were consistently potent. His influence persisted until his final role as offensive coordinator at Buffalo High, where he helped quarterback Hunter Rutan shatter the state’s single-game passing record this fall.
“You give him a kid with a little ability and he would have him shred defenses,” Gobel said.
Beyond the playbook, friends remembered a deeply passionate man. “He really loved his daughter and loved football,” said George Washington High School coach Steve Edwards Jr. “That was his life.”
Renowned for relentless work and calculated preparation, Scott Tinsley’s legacy is etched in championships, records, and the countless players and coaches he inspired with his visionary approach to the game.
