OXFORD – John Curtis spent 2 1/2 decades on the sideline as an assistant football coach under Oxford Hall of Fame mentor Tony Abbott. When Curtis got his chance to lead the Blackhawks, he literally took the ball and ran with it.

Curtis died Sunday night after a long illness at the age of 65.

A three-sport athlete at Mount Upton High School, Curtis starred at Cobleskill and later Cortland State playing football and lacrosse. He was hired out of college by Oxford Academy, and taught Physical Education at the primary school for over 35 years before retiring at the end of the 2006-2007 school year.

Curtis was an assistant football coach for Abbott for 25 seasons until Abbott stepped down after the 1995 campaign. Curtis was also a junior varsity and varsity basketball coach at Oxford working under Don Cooper for many years before taking over the varsity job, while Cooper became the varsity girls’ basketball coach.

After Curtis took the reins from Abbott, within five years, Oxford earned three Section IV Class D football championships, the school's only sectional titles under the current playoff format.

"Tony, John, and I worked together for so long, so it wasn't that big of a change," Cooper said, who coached with Curtis for 31 years. "It was seamless."

Abbott brought Curtis into the football program where he was a junior varsity coach and initially a defensive coach for the varsity. Curtis soon moved to offense, while Cooper ran the defense.

The formidable coaching trio helped Oxford win seven league championships, post three undefeated seasons, and compile 147 wins with Abbott leading the way. In his 11 seasons as head coach, Curtis piloted Oxford to 72 wins, seven Section IV Class D finals, and the aforementioned section titles.