Vic Grider
Vic Grider, who had a highly successful career as head football coach at South Pittsburg High School, announced Monday that he will be retiring at the end of the school year.
He is in his 30th year as a teacher, assistant principal, coach and athletic director at his alma mater. His father, Don Grider, won 192 games from 1969-1992. Vic Grider was the head coach of the Pirates for 16 seasons with a record of 162-43.
He had three Class 1A state championships and five trips to the state championship game. He has served as the softball coach since stepping down in 2012 as football coach.
Grider told school officials on Monday, "This was not an easy decision due to the fact that I have spent my entire career at one place. But there comes a time in everyone’s life where you have to make decisions that are best for your future. South Pittsburg is a special place and the football program is the standard in our area and I take great pride in the things that we accomplished and for the program that we were able to establish."
He also posted this emotional message on the South Pittsburg Pirate football Facebook page.
Let me start by saying Thank You! I cannot put in to words what the last 30 years have meant to me and what an honor it has been for me to serve as your coach. I am one of the few people in this world that can say that I got to do exactly what I wanted to do in THE ONLY place I ever wanted to do it. But, as with all good things, it eventually must come to an end. It has been an incredible ride with so many great memories and mistakes as well, but the good times far outweigh the bad and I am proud of the program we have built and feel confident in saying that we achieved our number one goal from the the start which was to leave it better than we found it. If someone had told me when I started coaching here 30 years ago that I would coach in 7 state championship games and 15 semi-final games in 30 seasons I would have never believed it. The thing that I am most proud of is that we figured out a way to do it year after year after year, which is unheard of in 1A football. South Pittsburg will find a better coach, a better person, a better leader, but I challenge you to find someone who loved the school, the program or the players more than I did. I took great pride in being the head coach at South Pittsburg. I cant begin to think of all the great memories that have been made over all the seasons but instead of feeling sad I’d rather remember the things I would love to see just one more time!
I’d love to see Sam Pickett run 48 Sweep just one more time!
I’d love to see Ben Blevins fill C gap again!
I’d love to coach the Banks Brothers just one more day!
I’d love to coach with my brother forever!
I’d love to coach a team full of Montrell Mitchells!
I’d love to see MY BOYS fire the cannon and light up the flames again!
I’d love to have the 1999,2007 & 2010 Offensive lines on every team I coach!
I’d love to hug Victoria on the field after winning it all just one more time!
I’d love to be as tough a man as Eddie Moore!
I’d love for every player I coached to have won a state championship!
I’d love to call 14 Counter again and watch Terrell Robinson go!
I’d love for all Pirates, past, present and future to have a passion for Pirate Football like David Wyatt does!
I’d love to beat Jasper just one more time!
I’d love to shake Harvey Allison’s hand on the field after a win again!
I’d love for every player to trust the process and keep the faith the way that Travis Millard did.
I’d love to coach Sawyer Kelley forever!
I’d love for Dr. Russ Adcock to know exactly how much he means to me and our program!
I’d love to be able to feed the ball to Robert Robinson 25 times in a big game again!
I’d love to coach with Danny Wilson, Shawn Peek, Allen Pratt and Freddie Tidmore again!
I’d love to hear Bob Sherrill over the PA just one more time!
I’d love to watch Raquis Hale press the hole on 32 Trap one more time!
I’d love to have Jaylyn Hubbard on every team I coach!
I’d love to see Rashawn Weatherspoon return kicks again!
I’d love to ride the bus to Jasper with my team just one more time!
I’d love for Hootie and Carolyn Dunwoody to film all our games forever!
I’d love for every player to be as coachable as Cody Robinson!
I’d love for everyone to love Pirate Football the way the Stone family does!
I’d love for every player I coach to turn it on at game time the way Demetric “Little Man” Johnson did!
I’d love to see Michael Grider, Tony Roden, DJ Roberson and Corbin Hale again!
I’d love for Trevor Barnes and Tyler Griffith to explain to every young player what hard work and perseverance gets you!
I’d love to coach just ONE MORE Robinson!
I’d love all my players to watch Hayden Branham and see what toughness is all about!
I’d love to see Beene Stadium erupt just one more time as Hogan Holland hits Cade Kennemore to beat Jasper!
I’d love to talk football with my dad just one more time!
To all the players: Thanks for your undying commitment, you never ending love for the program and for believing in me and what WE were trying to accomplish. I will forever be grateful.
I would also like to thank Dr. Russ Adcock, Dr. Trace Kennemore, Devin Uselton, Carl Mount, Eddie Tipton, Harvey Allison, Mike Allen, Guy Millard, J.C. Daniels, all current and former members of the SP QB Club, all my bosses (Harl “Chief” Miller, Marjorie Allison, Allen Pratt, Danny Wilson, Tim Bible and Mark Griffith for allowing us to make Pirate Football what it is and to do it the right way. And to all my current and former assistant coaches – thanks for putting up with me and my demanding ways, for believing and trusting in me and for always having my back every step of the way. What a ride it has been!
To all the Pirate Family, thank you from the bottom of my heart. South Pittsburg will always be home and Pirate football will never leave me. Keep the tradition going and continue to make Pirate football the best!