Ron "Link"  Younker, who coached the Oilers during the 1958 season, died May 23, 2002. He was 71. The Oilers were 1-7 in Younker's only season as coach. That season was sandwiched between the long coaching eras of John Kaufman and Blair Hildebrand. Younker was a three-sport star at Windber High School near Johnstown. He lettered in football at Penn State, graduating in 1955. In fact, Younker is the only Oiler football coach who holds a Penn State record that still stands: best career punt return average -- 17.6 (16 returns for 281 yards) in 1953-54. In 1954, he led the Nittany Lions in punt returns, running back 12 kicks for a 16.1 average. Penn State was 7-2 and ranked No. 16 nationally that season. All-America Lenny Moore led the team in punt returns in 1953. Younker ran back four kicks for a 22-yard average for Penn State's 6-3 team. After leaving Oil City, Younker was a teacher and coach in the Windber and Chestnut Ridge school districts. He guided Chestnut Ridge to its only undefeated season in football. Younker also was a PIAA official in football, basketball and baseball. He was inducted into the Windber Area Hall of Fame in 1980. Posted 06.06.02 (Former Derrick staffer Randy Griffith contributed to this report.)