GAINESVILLE -- Wayne Vickery says that he will always be a Red Elephant -- but after this spring that will have to be via school spirit rather than employment.
After 34 years of working as a coach and administrator at Gainesville High, Vickery learned last week that his contract would not be renewed for the upcoming school year.
"Friday afternoon (Gainesville City Schools Superintendent) Wanda Creel called me into her office and told me the Board of Education had decided to go in a different direction," said Vickery, currently the Red Elephants athletic director, a position he has filled for 14 years. "They wanted someone who could work full-time and run programs K-12."


Creel declined comment on Vickery's status within the school system but did state that the athletic director's position at Gainesville City Schools is set to undergo a shift in requirements.
"We are transitioning for the 2015-2016 school year to a 'Director of Athletics and Student Activities,'" Creel said via statement. "This full-time position will be dedicated to supporting all Georgia High School Association (GHSA) activities while also focusing on building programs from a K-12 perspective. ... This new direction will allow our school district to focus on comprehensive, aligned feeder programs kindergarten through 12th grade.
"The Board of Education and the entire community value Mr. Vickery's many years of service and acknowledge his contributions and outstanding accomplishments. Mr. Vickery is welcome to apply for the position and he would be considered with any other applicants."
For his part, Vickery says he has made peace with the changes and that his accomplishments speak for themselves.
Indeed, Vickery, 59, leaves Gainesville as one of its most decorated sports figures. He led the Gainesville baseball program for 20 years, winning five state titles (1996-98 and 2001-02), 13 region titles and compiling a record of 470-129. And as athletic director he oversaw 13 team state championships and 81 region championships. Gainesville has also consistently finished among the top schools in its classification in the Georgia Athletic Director's Association's "Director's Cup" standings -- which measures success across all sports.
"I think I'm leaving Gainesville in a better place than when I started," Vickery said. "We have facilities on par with anyone. We are as competitive as we have ever been, and we operate in the black, financially.
"The athletic club has been huge in that and has been good to me; we couldn't be where we are without them."
Others say Gainesville might not be enjoying its current success without Vickery's efforts.
"Wayne Vickery has served the children and student athletes of Gainesville City Schools in a remarkable way for 34 years. He will be remembered for the work that people see -- working over 100 hours per week to be sure that all athletic events and athletes were organized and supported," noted former Gainesville City Superintendent Marianne Dyer. "What people do not see is the hours of work certifying athletes and his relationship with the Georgia High School Association and his level of advocacy with them. He has an exemplary record of certifying athletes and adhering to the rules of GHSA."
"He is absolutely great as an athletic director," Gainesville football coach Bruce Miller said. "You always know that when you go to him that you will have his support."
Vickery says he will remain a supporter of all things Big Red -- even if he is not leaving on his terms.
"I'm a Red Elephant for life; when (funeral home director) Ben Mason picks me up in his hearse I'll still be a Red Elephant," chuckled Vickery, who adds that he's not sure what his next step entails. "When you've been doing something 34 years, it's tough. The Lord's got a plan for me, but I'm waiting to see what that might be right now... You can only hunt and fish so much."
Vickery will have plenty of memories to keep him smiling while searching for his next calling, including those championships and the successful coaches that he helped install at Gainesville.
"My biggest thrill was winning that first state baseball title in 1996," Vickery said. "The next was finally getting over the hump to win that first state championship in football (in 2012). I think that healed a lot of frustrations when we were finally able to accomplish that."
Vickery was pivotal in bringing the coach that led that breakthrough to Gainesville, and that accomplishment is also one of his points of pride.
"Hiring Bruce Miller, (boys basketball coach) Benjie Wood, (boys soccer coach) Rick Howard, (girls soccer coach) Mark Wade, (boys tennis coach) Clark Weaver... the list goes on; those are some outstanding coaches and people, and I don't know how I pulled that off," Vickery said. "We've got a great tradition at Gainesville and a great system, and I'm just proud to have been a part of it.
"When you stay in a job as long as I have you make some decisions that turn some people against you. But every decision I've made has always been in the best interest of Gainesville High School."
Vickery was hired to the school from Madison County High School by legendary and former Gainesville football coach Bobby Gruhn in 1980, originally serving as a biology teacher and assistant football coach. He took over the baseball program in 1989, stepping down from that capacity in 2009.
He also served as the school's driver's education teacher -- and he hopes that the school system maintains the course.
"You can't put a price on a child's life, and I would hate to see them drop that course," Vickery said. "We have so many underprivileged kids whose only chance to learn in a real car might be in that driver's education car."
As much as some students may remember his driver's education course, however, Vickery built his legacy on athletics -- and Gainesville's success.
"He is Gainesville High athletics," Miller said of Vickery. "He is just Big Red through and through."
"I just hope coach Miller will let me still walk the sidelines during football games," Vickery said. "I've got to be there ranting and raving."
Friday
April 26th, 2024
12:56AM
