The Legacy Of A Lifelong Coach

Retirement conversations can get sentimental fast, but this one stays grounded in something real: the daily choices that make a teacher and coach matter. We’re joined by Coach Vecchio as he looks back on growing up in the Olean School District, the mentors who shaped him, and the moment he realized education and coaching were the work he wanted to do. Along the way, he shares what it felt like to enter the 1990s job market, spend years substituting, and keep saying yes to opportunities until the right door opened. 

We dig into the coaching philosophy that guided his career in high school football and the classroom. He comes back to a relationship-first approach and the Jim Tressel line that still hits hard: students and players don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. He explains what “care” looks like in practice: being early, saying hi in the hallway, showing up to the play or a softball game, and creating a safe classroom where kids know they can talk to you. If you care about education leadership, teacher mentorship, and building a strong school culture, these are the habits that scale. 

Then we talk about the life lessons sports can teach when it’s done right: teamwork, selflessness, doing your job whether you’re the star or a reserve, and staying coachable no matter how long you’ve been doing it. Coach Vecchio reflects on pride, community legacy, and how fast the years go, plus what he’s most excited for next as he follows his own kids and finally controls the calendar. If this conversation resonates, subscribe, share it with a teacher or coach who helped you, and leave a review. What’s one educator you still think about years later?

Transcript

Celebrating Coach Vecchio’s Retirement

0:00

Welcome to our next exciting episode of the Husky Huddle. I am so excited to be joined by Coach Becchio, who is about to retire, but he has such an amazing career to celebrate. And we're here to celebrate with him. We're so excited for him as he's going on his next journey. We want to know what brought you to this stage of your journey. And we want to know all those amazing words of wisdom that you want to share with us as you decide to move into this next stage.

Why He Chose Teaching And Coaching

0:37

So um, without further ado, what first brought you to education and coaching in the first place? Well, thanks for having me, first of all. Uh so yeah, I had a great high school experience. Um I enjoyed it. I was born in Oleanne. I actually grew up a block away on Lawrence Street. So it's, you know, since 1974, I've been I've been around the Oleanne School District. Um so and and like I said, we we had a great time in high school, met a bunch of great people, had awesome teachers, um, and coaches. And it that that's what influenced me to get in the career. I always knew I wanted a coach, and then I I'd loved history, so it it seemed to make sense. So was history your favorite subject? It was okay. Did you have a really good history teacher here? Uh well, it it started way back, right? I had Mr. Kane in seventh grade, and he was a football coach here for 26 years. Wow. Okay, what an influence. Yeah, absolutely. So awesome. And all throughout. And actually, I had Mr. Taylor at ninth and tenth grade, who was my varsity football coach. Okay. So it it seemed to make sense uh to me. Yeah. As I joke with my daughter who's in 10th grade, I said when they brought letters into math, that was it for me. So self-standing in English was it made sense when it was letters. Got it. Right. So do you remember your very first year of

Breaking In Through Subbing And Football

2:11

teaching? Um, well, I mean, it so I was uh I graduated college in 1991. So those were the years in which there was 135 people applying for every teaching position. Right. And I it took me 10 years to get in full time. Wow. But I subbed here uh throughout. I mean, the reason I'm able to kind of uh retire when I can is I bought all my subtime back. That's wonderful. Yeah, and um so that got me the the the magic 30-year number. Yeah, um, so but I was coached, uh coach uh coach Kane was the head coach by then, and he asked right out of the gate. So I'm 22 years old. Wow. Um, if I wanted to help out, and it's just what a legacy. That was really, really that's like so. I think 30 of the last 35 years I've been down on the field. Wow. Yeah, that is incredible, and what a legacy that is. What stands out for you as you reflect back at you were 22, you were given the opportunity to coach, and you're still doing it to this minute. What stands out for you about that experience? Because that's a legacy, that's a true legacy. Well, it's I mean, teaching, coaching, it's it's a relationship-based business. And uh I think that's what I'm most proud of is all the people that we've come into contact with. All the coaches that I've coached with. It's been it's been awesome. And to see these people in the community, and when they come back, I mean, I love reunion weekend because you get to see uh, and we have a special uh alumni, we have a special reunion every year. Unfortunately, I'm gonna be out of town this weekend. My son has a baseball tournament, but yeah, um it's awesome, and and people love this place. People uh go. I I would advise anybody to go to um when they induct the Wall of Fame people, yeah, and hear those people talk about what this place had an effect out of it. Yeah, it's awesome. That's what it's all about. It's a lot of reasonable pride, absolutely. And that's what's kept you here in Olean for all that time. Yeah, I always want to come back. Like I said, I couldn't get in for a long time. And uh, I was lucky enough. Uh so a guy I coached with here got the head job at Frankelville. He asked me to come to Frankelville. So I was lucky to coach there for a couple years with him and kind of worked into a long-term sub job there and then got hired full-time in Salamanca. I was there for three years, and an opportunity came back finally to come back here in 2004, I think. Wow, 2005, to come back here. So yeah, outside of you know, those five or six years, 1999 to 2004, I was yeah, I've been I've been around. That's wonderful. Yeah. So you've worked with so many students over the years. What has that meant for you personally? Yeah, I mean, like I said before, it's you know, it's a relationship that you build. It's awesome to see people out in the community. Uh you know, and they're generally pretty happy most of the time to see you. I'm sure there's a few that say, oh, there goes that vecchio. But um, that's all part of the deal. Yeah. Um, but no, it's just it's it's kind of a cool thing. Yeah.

Care First Leadership In School Life

5:55

Yeah. And how would you describe your philosophy as a coach and an educator? So I tried to uh it made a lot of sense to me. I was I was at a football clinic uh and I was listening to Jim Tressel from Ohio State, and he said this really hit for me. He says, you know, whether it's your players or your students, they don't care how much you know until they know how much you care. That's very true. So true. Yeah, so that was I mean, that's it. It's uh whether it's uh in the hallways saying hi to people, um being here early, um you know, again in the community, but you have to be involved, you have to uh show an interest in student, right? Um and you know, as a football coach, you know, I'm gonna go to a baseball game, I'm gonna go to a softball game, I'm gonna go to the play. It's just you have to be present, you know. Yeah. We always talk about be where your feet are. Yeah. So yeah. Just you know, all that being being present. Yeah, yeah.

Teamwork, Coachability, And Lifelong Learning

7:10

So what lessons do you hope your students and athletes carry with them long after they leave Ole? Well, I'm biased, but I think football is the greatest game in the world. And the reason it is that is because you have to be a part of something. You have to uh be a cog in the wheel, if you will. Whether you're the Star Corbeg or the reserve lineman, everybody has a role. Right. If you want to be good. And uh when people buy into that, uh hard work, uh, togetherness, team, uh, all of those things uh that will make you a good employee, uh, you know, it'll make you a good boss, it'll make it'll help you uh when you have to sacrifice for all rather than just worried about you. Yeah, those are definitely definitely a wise lesson for that. Um, what makes a good teammate or student in your perspective? Right, so that's it. I hardworking selflessness, um, just being able to be coachable. We talk about being able to be coachable all the time. Yeah, and that goes for the coaches too, right? I mean, yeah, you know, a kid will come to me with hey, I was thinking about this play the other day, and you know, yeah, let's try it if it makes sense. Um yeah, so to not think that you already know everything, absolutely, is super important for not only player, but but for a coach. Um I I tell these guys all the time, I'm learning every day. I mean, I'm trying to find concepts and you know, I this one play a day. This Dan Casey's this big football guy sends a play out every day. Many of those plays have made it to Friday nights. Yeah, I mean, you're always trying to look for things that's gonna put your team in the best uh position to to be competitive in a football game. That's awesome. That's definitely spoken like a true lifelong educator, it is right. It's it's lessons in the in the classroom, too. I mean, it's uh things you see, it's you know, Miss Perry or Ms. Wolfgang saying, Hey, we tried this. Um, it's yeah, it's just you gotta be if you think you know everything, you're in big trouble. Absolutely, and a good teacher knows that at heart. Yeah.

Pride, Community, And The Legacy He Leaves

9:30

So when you reflect on your career, what are you most proud of? Oh boy. Um I guess I'm I'm proud of uh I don't know if endurance is the right word, but you know, being in one place for so long. Um uh I'm proud of I'm lucky to be uh been healthy, so I've been able to come to work uh every day um for the most part. Um I just I'm I'm I'm lucky, I I feel like I bring good energy uh to to the hallways, to the classroom, uh to to our fellow teachers and educators. Um just try to be a positive influence on the community, I guess, is one of the most proud of. Yeah, absolutely. And what have all of these relationships that you've described, like with your students, your athletes, your colleagues, the community, what has that meant to you? Yeah, it's that's what it's all about. It that means everything. Uh uh to me. I mean, people some people have uh, I don't know, are more worried about money or more worried about things, but it's it's just to me, uh it's the connection. It's the connections. I love what you said there. Yeah. Um it's uh the relationships that you build. I know I've said that a couple times, but uh I had something I was gonna say that slipped my mind, but uh it's it's just uh yeah, being able to be present and the connections that you build to each other. Yeah. And when our students come back here years later and they're talking about their bandwidth teacher or their favorite coach and they bring your name up, what do you hope that they remember about you? Um yeah, just a good positive energy um that uh I made them feel safe in the classroom. Um that I was a guy that they could talk to if they had an issue or a problem. So yeah, that's that's what I hope. Okay.

Advice For New Educators And What’s Next

11:50

So what would advice would you give new teachers or coaches just starting out? Yeah, so again, that's stay involved. Uh you gotta be involved in their lives. Yeah. Um be present, be where your feet are. Yeah. Um I I see a lot of it. I just I call it, you know, everybody thinks the grass is greater. Yeah, everybody thinks they want to go, you know, it's it's a pretty special place. Yeah. If you could go back and talk to your younger self, what would you say? Enjoy the ride. It goes fast. It does go fast. You're so right. It goes fast. So speaking of that ride, what are you looking forward to most of the time? That's what I can yeah, I can do anything I want. Um yeah, so friends and I are uh we I have a piece of what we call it's called Union T and golf simulators. So I can see myself working a few hours down there. Nice, you know. I'm not opposed, at least right off the bat, to maybe come back and sub a little bit or whatever is needed uh around here. But we'd love to have you. I'm looking most forward to being able to, you know, follow my own children. Right. Uh right. So my daughter's uh gonna be a junior, she's a swimmer, so I can make more meats, and and my son plays all those, all the sports, so it's gonna be uh fun to watch them without you know worrying about feeling guilty about not being here and doing all that. So that's wonderful, yeah. It'll be good. And um in one word or friends, okay, no pressure. Oh boy, how would you describe your career? Ooh. Um word. Uh I just the first one that that jumped into my mind was was fast. I mean, it just it's blink of an eye. Um, you know, you're like you said, you're 22 years old on the field, next thing you know, it's 35 years later. And yeah, and uh it's just it's amazing how fast it everything goes. Yeah, and the older you get, the faster it goes. Oh my gosh. So uh I guess yeah, career-wise, it was just it was a fun ride. Wouldn't change a thing. Why don't you? Um, you know, that's the old saying, you know, if if you enjoy what you do, you never realized it. Yeah. Yeah. That's great. Yeah, I've been lucky. Well, coach, thank you. Thank you for everything that you've given the ON. We are celebrating with you, and your impact will be felt for generations. As I said, it's really all about that legacy that you've left here. We are so appreciative. Thank you. It's been my pleasure. Having joining me on the Husky Huddle. And I appreciate this opportunity we've had to learn more about you and share your legacy with even more people so that they can learn about your impact on this area. Again, thanks for having me, and I appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you.