A Dartmouth legend has passed away.

Former Dartmouth High School football coach Carlin Lynch died last night at the age of 84.

Lynch coached at Dartmouth for 25 years, winning more than 200 games. His teams went undefeated six times, won 14 league titles and made five trips to high school Super Bowls, winning four times.

Dartmouth High Athletic Director Jeff Caron tells WBSM News it was a somber day at the high school today, where Lynch was beloved by many.

“Pretty much everywhere I went, that’s what people were talking about. My office phone, my own personal cell phone, have all been going off with people who have heard the news, and we’re all kind of sharing their sadness,” Caron said.

Caron said the athletic department hasn’t changed much from what Lynch built in his years on the job.

“Our department very much still operates in many ways with a lot of the work he did here, both as (athletic director) and coach,” Caron said. “He’s been an example for many of coaches here. Whether they played for him or were students when he was here, they looked up to him and modeled their own coaching careers after him.”

Lynch graduated from Somerset High School and went on to Holy Cross. He first became a head football coach at Somerset, before moving on to the challenge of building the new Bishop Stang football program when that school opened. He then spent time as an assistant at Holy Cross before becoming the head football coach in Dartmouth in 1968.

Lynch stepped down as football coach in 1993 but remained in his position as Director of Physical Education, Health and Athletics for several years before retiring. Even after that, he remained a presence at Dartmouth High.

“Yeah, he still had a presence right up until he passed,” Caron said. “When I arrived here, he was in a mentoring role, working with some kids that were struggling in a conventional classroom. He worked closely with them, and that work was very important to him. And the people he worked alongside valued him being here, even in a part-time capacity.”

The school’s gymnasium was named the Carlin Lynch Activity Center in his honor. He was inducted into the Massachusetts High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1993.

“Every room he entered changed when he entered it. He had a presence, and people were drawn to him,” Caron said. “And his presence will always be here.”

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