It was a tough week for many of us on the RCN sports staff, and for the many people whose lives were touched by our former colleague, and legendary head basketball coach, Francis Richard Tracy.
For me personally, I had the good fortune of knowing Coach Tracy in many roles throughout my life…
- As a youngster, playing tag under the bleachers at Whitehall’s Gym during basketball games (which, for some five-year olds, is more fun than watching a basketball game—and a low scoring one at that). I later wondered if my hearing issues are a direct result of Coach’s trademark kicking of the bleachers during games (see video below for a reminder).
- As a pre-teen, seeing this larger-than-life man, who curiously had the same name as one of my favorite comic strip characters, leading a parade of fire trucks through town following his team’s state championship win in 1982.
- As a high school student…he was an English teach and my journalism/yearbook advisor. His first instructions upon hearing my name was that I could rob a bank using my real name, then legally switch my first and last name to avoid persecution (the way he delivered the line, I actually believed him for a few seconds). As he noticed my intense passion for sports as a writer on his staff, he—gradually—warmed up to me, and provided invaluable instructions on my first ventures into the sports writing arena. He was a tough critic…and an incredibly accurate
- As a senior, and after his departure from Whitehall … a man whose eyes widened while smiling exuberantly as he approached me at the Whitehall Library (where his beloved wife, Mary, worked), genuinely seeming interested in my progress and my college planning, followed by him giving me a laundry list of things to work on if I wanted to make a living working in sports.
- As a high school football radio announcer … Dick was the first one to greet me if we were doing the same game, and quickly went over all of his numerous notes with me, and made sure I knew all the latest news, rumors and a full rundown of items that I should be aware of for that game and for my broadcast.
- As a colleague at Twin County/RCN … Coach always commanded an amazing, and unique, presence, with everyone he came in contact with. Among our staff, current and former coaches, athletic directors, players, fans…everyone. And heaven help the game manager if the game was running long and an important Yankees or Notre Dame football game was scheduled for that evening.
- As Dick’s driver, set-up man and his foil. There’s no two ways about it. When I had the opportunity to work with Coach on-air, he was the broadcast. I made sure to announce the particulars of the game, confirm we hit all the sponsors, liners and commercial breaks and every once in a while I’d bring up a storyline that I thought Dick might not know about. He always responded to, and then augmented, whatever facts I mentioned. Some of the happiest moments of my life were preparing for the broadcasts with Coach, driving to the site (including an unbelievable story regarding a flat tire suffered en route), having a pre-game meal (no one got more free food than Coach) and all the discussions that went on before, in-between (oh, the facial expressions I would get for an athlete’s mental error and during blow-out games!), and after, the broadcasts. The rides home were filled with reflections … on the game, the broadcast (“NEVER take the game home with you!”), and…strangely enough, about nearly everything else you could possibly imagine.
- As a fly on the wall for his tribute show, featuring many of his former players and closest friends. During one of our many long conversations, I once asked him, if he could have one afternoon to relive ANYTHING he experienced during his life…anything at all, what would you do? My mind raced through games during his championship basketball seasons, running the Wing-T during his football playing days, the various sports he announced, his trips to Yankee Stadium and South Bend…what would he say? I still remember his response.
He paused for a quick moment, then a smile flashed across his face…
“You know, Chris, that’s an easy question. If, for one afternoon, I could sit down with some of my former players … and just talk. Doesn’t have to be about basketball…it doesn’t have to be about anything, really. Just to sit down, and talk with some of those guys…I don’t think I’d want anything more than that.”
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Following Dick’s passing last Friday, we had an opportunity to memorialize him, and to reflect on the many aspects of this colorful man’s life. Here’s a clip of our discussion of “Coach” on last week’s “SportsTalk” show and a sample from our Liberty/Becahi football broadcast last Saturday.
RIP…Coach Tracy
