Salem's Coach Willis White to retire...

[GMan 3,569]

A lasting legacy

By Robert Anderson

 

At a recent sports gathering at the Salem Civic Center, someone asked a question that stumped the panel:

"Who was the football coach at Salem High School before Willis White?"

Measure the greatness of White's career in the fact that he was the only person at the table who immediately knew the answer.

White joined a short list of former Salem coaches Tuesday when the Timesland coaching legend announced his retirement after a 29-year head coaching career - the last 21 with the Spartans.

White's retirement will leave a void in stadiums throughout Virginia.

"It sure will," said Franklin County coach and former Salem assistant Billy Miles. "But I think the legacy of Willis White will last forever."

White, 62, won four VHSL Group AA Division 4 championships and more than 200 games at Salem. White had just one losing season at Salem - his first at 4-5-1 - and 15 district championships and 10 regional titles counting a five-year stint as the head coach at Patrick Henry.

White took two Salem teams and one PH squad to state runner-up finishes.

His final team at Salem finished 8-2.

White said Tuesday he started thinking seriously about retirement in December.

"I think I made up my mind at Christmas," White said. "At the end of every season for about the last five I've always felt like quitting because I'm always so tired and worn out. But it was a little bit different this year."

White was given a mid-February deadline by Salem school officials but was granted an extension. White also said the Salem administration was prepared to let him retire from his position as a math teacher while continuing to coach the Spartans.

"They offered to let me coach and not teach," White said. "I considered it, but I changed my mind."

A Salem source said the school board wanted a guarantee from White on the remaining length of his tenure, from one to three years, effectively reducing him to interim status. White did not accept any stipulations.

"The only hard thing was knowing 100 percent this was what I wanted to do," White said. "When do you really know when it's the right time? You just get up in the morning and it's the right time."

White, who recently became an ordained minister, said he is uncertain of his future plans.

"I've got a lot of things that I think I'd like to do," he said. "I've never had a vacation. I've never really been anywhere other than football games. I'd like to see what else is in the world."

White's coaching career nearly ended just after it began.

After graduating from Concord (W.Va.) College in 1964, he joined the staff of head coach Hubert Ashe as a 22-year-old assistant at Fort Chiswell High School, where he briefly served as the head coach of the baseball and basketball teams.

White once sent his Fort Chiswell basketball team against a Bassett squad coached by Sonny Smith, who became a successful college coach at a number of schools including Auburn and VCU.

"We couldn't find a basketball coach who could coach football so I coached basketball for one semester," White said. "I didn't do so well."

White became head football coach in 1966 and departed after a 1-9 season in 1968. He not only left Wythe County, he got out of public education altogether and took a job in Roanoke as a management trainee for Allstate Insurance.

"I decided I wasn't going to teach anymore," White said. "It was too hard. Coaching just burned me up. I worked hard, I mean hard. I worked 24 hours a day and just couldn't get anything done. I never really wanted to be a head coach. You take so much grief from people."

White had more on his mind as a young coach at Fort Chiswell. He was diagnosed with melanoma - a form of skin cancer that metastasized into his lymph system.

"I was 24 years old and they told me I couldn't expect to have more than six months to live," White said.

White, born in Jeffrey, W.Va., won just nine games in three years at Fort Chiswell.

He lasted in the insurance business all of six months before newly-hired Patrick Henry coach Merrill Gainer persuaded White to join the Patriots' staff in 1969. White helped PH to the 1973 Group AAA championship, then took over for Gainer in 1978.

White's 1979 team reached the Group AAA final, losing 14-6 to Petersburg. However, history was about to change six miles across the valley.

Salem's moribund football program had experienced little success from the time the school was formed in the fall of 1977 until White was hired six years later.

"His greatest legacy might be in what he did to rebuild that program from the shape it was in when he got there," Miles said.

White's initial season produced his only losing record at Salem, where he led the Spartans to the VHSL playoffs 17 years in a row until the streak was broken in 2000 with a 5-5 record.

After years of close calls including a 34-27 loss to Spotsylvania in the 1991 Group AA Division 4 championship game, White and Salem broke through with a 20-12 win over Sherando in the 1996 final at Victory Stadium.

Salem then became one of just three VHSL schools to win three straight state championships, beating Lafayette 28-18 in 1998, then stopping Park View-Sterling 21-20 in 1999 and 17-10 in 2000.

White had a difficult time listing a career highlight.

"The people are what you remember the most," he said.

White's biggest strength might have been in retaining his assistant coaches. Five Salem assistants - Larry Bradley, Danny Wheeling, Steve Oliver, Mark Yuhas and John Hinkle - were with White for all 21 years. Jerry Scharnus has been on the staff for 20 years, while Miles coached with White for 18 years before leaving for Franklin County.

"The biggest reason for our success was our assistant coaches," White said. "We've had continuity other people didn't have.

"You can't win with just talent and you can't win with just coaching. You have to put the two together."

Salem officials are now under pressure to hire a suitable replacement for White.

Miles, Salem assistant Fred Wagner and Hidden Valley coach and Salem alumnus Stephen Magenbauer could be high on the list.

White said he won't be involved in the search.

"It's not my school system," he said. "If they need to ask me any questions, I'll be glad to answer them. If not, I'll go where they want me to go."

White went into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 2001, not bad for the 10th of 11 children born to parents with no more than a fourth-grade education. White learned plenty from his father, Willis, a coal miner, and his mother, Macel.

"The thing I got from him was trying to make sure things were done with class and that they were done the right way," Miles said. "I was privileged to be an assistant under Willis White for 18 years."

White certainly is leaving a lasting legacy.

Anybody remember Carl Richards?

[Bluefield_Rules 46]

One of the true coaching legends that the SWVA area has had the privilage of calling its own. Another one of the "old guard" is now retired leaving only Carlock and a very few others. Best wishes to Willis White in his retirement.

[Johnny Freites 0]

My name is Johnny Freites and would love to get in touch With Coach Willis White.  I was in the Patriot team and graduated in 1979.  I joined the Marines in 1979 and retired after 20 years of service.  I recently retired from the private sector at 62.  Since I have a retired pay check I wont tap into my SSA YET.

I WOULD LIKE FOR SOMEONE TO GIVE HIM MY EMAIL ADDRESS ALL LOWER CASE BELOW.

fjohnnyz@yahoo.com

I'm married to the former Kathy Secrist from PH that graduated in 1980.

Please contact me.

[Johnny Freites 0]

Coach White congrats on all your accomplishments at PH and Salem.  Particularly the Championships.

JOHNNY FREITES

[sixcat 2,919]

This thread is 16 months older than my daughter, who is a senior in high school!!!

[Liam McPoyle 1,863]

In case you missed it, Phil Robbins has also retired at Powell Valley https://heraldcourier.com/sports/end-of-an-era-pvs-robbins-will-retire-after-2010-season/article_2b0f0bbc-df9b-5735-aaf2-d4b4c5f6f31d.html

[Deleted Account 5,203]

4 hours ago, sixcat said:

This thread is 16 months older than my daughter, who is a senior in high school!!!

This thread could've had a cigarette this spring if not for our meddling General Assembly!

 

I kid.  I hope someone is able to hook Mr. Frietes (thank you for your service, sir) up with Mr. White.  Thankfully, it appears that Mr. White is still alive and well from all indications.

[BandanaVTDavis4321 1,717]

 

[Cousin_Hoyt 87]

1996, afraid to play Grundy @ Grundy in State Semis. You people should have heard some of the lame excuses they used in getting the VHSL to move the game. Played at Tazewell. Field conditions, they were better at Grundy with a lot less wind.  You want some Legends? How about these gentlemen, Cummins, Riggs, Fry, Joyce (Andrew Lewis) and probably one of Mr. Researcher’s favorites, Gainer (Big Creek & Bluefield, WV).  White, not on my list.

Uncle Percy

By the way, Joyce wasn’t afraid to come to Grundy. State powerhouse Jefferson Sr., E.C. Glass, William Fleming, and Patrick Henry-Roanoke were  not afraid to come to Vansant Ballpark or County Stadium to play. “Legend” White was.

[Hokiebird7 1,416]

21 minutes ago, Cousin_Hoyt said:

1996, afraid to play Grundy @ Grundy in State Semis. You people should have heard some of the lame excuses they used in getting the VHSL to move the game. Played at Tazewell. Field conditions, they were better at Grundy with a lot less wind.  You want some Legends? How about these gentlemen, Cummins, Riggs, Fry, Joyce (Andrew Lewis) and probably one of Mr. Researcher’s favorites, Gainer (Big Creek & Bluefield, WV).  White, not on my list.

Uncle Percy

By the way, Joyce wasn’t afraid to come to Grundy. State powerhouse Jefferson Sr., E.C. Glass, William Fleming, and Patrick Henry-Roanoke were  not afraid to come to Vansant Ballpark or County Stadium to play. “Legend” White was.

Tell us these "stories" then if we should hear them

[Gridiron60 2,555]

Maybe we should fire up the Chris Akers’ thread again 😂 

[Real Sasquatch 1,865]

My fondest memory of Willis White is him throwing tantrums on the sideline at Mitchell while losing to Graham.

[Cousin_Hoyt 87]

6 hours ago, Hokiebird7 said:

Tell us these "stories" then if we should hear them

One was crowd control.

[redtiger 1,740]