Mourning the Loss of Coach Vandy
The Warrior community is mourning the loss of lifelong Warrior and community pillar, Jim VanDeGrift. Jim and his wife Rosie came to the Lebanon community in 1967 when he was hired as the Head Football Coach and biology teacher at Lebanon High School. They planted roots in the community, raising their three children; Ty, Jamie, and Dana, and remained committed to serving the community into their retirement.
Over his long career in the district, he served as a teacher, guidance counselor, high school athletic director, driver’s education instructor, and attendance officer. Coach Vandy served as the head football coach of the Warriors for 15 years, the longest tenure of any football coach. He won 75 percent of his games and coached the 1980 team to a State Runner-Up finish. In addition to football, he served as the head men’s track coach for 15 years and the head co-ed cross country coach for eight years. Jim officiated high school and college basketball games for 34 years, and also officiated high school track for more than 30 years. Jim was a 2011 inductee into the Lebanon Hall of Fame and was a member of seven different Hall of Fames, including the Ohio High School Football Coaches.
After retiring as an educator in 1994, Jim remained committed to serving the community he loved. He was elected nine times as a Turtlecreek Township Trustee and continued to serve at his church as a Sunday School teacher. Jim has left a lasting legacy on Lebanon, in every aspect of our community life. In 1997, the Lebanon football stadium on Miller Road was named in his honor. He was a fixture at Lebanon sporting events, including last week’s final football game.
Jim was instrumental in the creation of the Onward Lebanon campaign in 2007 to raise funds to install the first turf field at the stadium on Miller Road, and he was involved in the creation of the Legacy Project, which began raising funds to update the stadium named in his honor.
As a district we are mourning the loss of a friend, coach, teacher, colleague, counselor, mentor, and Lebanon legend. Many said Coach V bled maroon and white and he loved the old traditions of Lebanon, but he also bridged the gap between the past and present for so many Lebanon Warriors. We will miss his presence.
Jim lived out the phrase “Once a Warrior, Always a Warrior” and his legacy will live on long after his passing in the lives of those touched. Our thoughts and sympathy goes out to Rosie and the VanDeGrift family in this difficult time.
