Priddy to be honored Friday

Bob Priddy initially walked through the front doors of St. Marys Memorial High School in the summer of 1969 after attending Miami University, where he had played football for Bo Schembechler, Gary Moeller and Jim Young.

Priddy spent three decades at the school, teaching biology, physiology and physical education. He joined the staff of Roughriders football coach Skip Baughman and in 1970, he started the varsity wrestling program and was head coach for two years.

"Bob arrived two years after I did and took over Biology and Physiology for me when I became guidance counselor," recalled long-time friend and former St. Marys offensive line coach, Roger Duncan. "He became the fourth member of our coaching staff and really showed a strong desire to coach the defense, so he took over as defensive coordinator. He was absolutely a tremendous teacher both on and off the football field and a great man to be around."

Priddy spent 25 years as defensive coordinator during an era when many of his units evolved into some of the most tenacious in Western Buckeye League history, especially in 1972, 1981, 1982, 1990 and 1991 when the Roughriders allowed fewer than six points per game. In the early 1970s, the Roughrider program became one of the first in the area to institute a complete two-platoon system on the field, and while Priddy was on staff, St. Marys captured 14 Western Buckeye League titles and three state championships.

"I remember Coach Baughman was against going to a two-platoon set up, but I think coach Priddy rode him about it until Skip finally gave in," chuckled Craig Huwer, who played defensive back from 1970-1972. "Sidney drilled us 54-12 in the first game that we ran it full go and Skip was ready to scrap the two-platoon. Coach Priddy explained that if we did that, we would have to go back to square one with everything and convinced him to keep it and his players would develop. We kept it in place and it became the staple of our program for the next three decades.

Baughman hung up his whistle for good following the 1993 season and Priddy grabbed the reigns for four years, compiling an overall record of 21-19. Although his win-loss totals weren't staggering, Priddy's presence immediately following the Baughman era was refreshing and necessary in continuing to develop a culture of respect, pride, discipline, character and integrity throughout the Roughrider program.

"Coach Priddy was always one of those coaches that was a great listener to his players' requests, and he was very easy to talk to," remarked former All-WBL defensive tackle Brian Christopher, who played for Priddy during his final two years coaching. "He always tried to put a lot of fun into conditioning, which was usually the toughest part of practice. He was also a big presence in the weight room and wanted to be sure we were conditioned to the best of our ability. He was really just an all-around great man and coach."  

Priddy stepped away from the head-coaching ranks following the 1997 campaign, and on August 26, 1999, the veteran coach succumbed to cancer leaving behind his wife, Linda, and their three children - Melissa, Teresa, and Jeff.

"I coached with Bob and tried to use his techniques in my own coaching career," commented St. Marys athletic director Jim Hollman, who also played for Priddy while in high school. "To know Bob was to respect him. He taught me to respect everyone and be humble.  After he passed away, when my family would sit down on Thursday nights at dinner, I would pray to him and ask if he would join me on the sidelines and help me call the defense for Friday night's game.  After one of those meals, one of my boys asked who coach Priddy was and if he was a saint. In the coaching profession, you meet a few people who can change lives and he was one of those people."

Although Priddy was well-remembered for his performance in the classroom and on the sidelines, he also played a vital role in the development of the St. Marys weight room and year-round training routine. There were few times anyone walked by the weight facility situated upstairs behind the caged doors in the room adjacent to McBroom Gymnasium that you couldn't hear Priddy's deep voice encouraging a few more reps from one of his athletes.

"Bob was the brains behind all of our early weight-training programs," Duncan explained. "Our weight room couldn't fit the whole team in it at once, so he developed the schedules and all of the regimes, and at that time, we were really the first team around to have such a weight program. He always liked to have different contests and do various things with the kids to keep it fun, while also helping to develop strength at the same time."

When the old weight room was demolished a few years ago, a brand-new, more spacious facility was erected at the new high school next to Murotech Gymnasium. Although Priddy is no longer with us, his spirit will grace Roughrider football players from this point forward as Friday evening, at halftime of St. Marys' boys basketball game with Shawnee, the weight room will be dedicated in his honor in a presentation headed by Hollman.

"Steve Stroh came up with the weight room dedication idea and it just started to roll," Hollman advised. "Coach Priddy was a teacher in both the classroom and on the field. He taught his players the game and even those students who were not players respected him and loved going to his class. He taught you strength of character as well as physical strength in the weight room. He wanted every athlete, team, and the school to succeed and St. Marys to be the front-runner in everything. We felt this was a very fitting tribute in his honor."