Stan McCoy Jr., A Second Generation Sports Legend

And you know what Coach? You shouldn’t change a thing.

 

by Staff Reporter Cam Louder

veryone living in Loveland has heard of the legendary Stan McCoy Senior. His son, Stan McCoy Junior is no different. I set out to learn more about his Loveland roots, sports legacy, and how he became the athlete and coach kids look up to today.

From a more in depth and personal view, I wanted to write this article about McCoy Junior or better known to the students of Loveland  as “Coach.” He is one of my mentors and I’ve always felt like he has my back. In seventh and eighth grade Coach McCoy willingly allowed me, a young man in a wheelchair who has cerebral palsy, to be the team’s basketball and football assistant coach. I’ve learned a great deal from Coach. He made me realize that nothing is impossible. I met Coach in fifth grade when he was my physical education teacher.  We hit it off immediately. I think he recognized my passion for sports. I guess you could say, he tucked me under his wings and included me in everything.  My disability was no big deal to him. He found a way to carve out a role for me. [quote_right]I guess you could say, he tucked me under his wings[/quote_right]

McCoy is a graduate of Xavier University. He has been a physical education teacher at Loveland Schools for nearly 30 years. He currently coaches eighth grade football, seventh and eighth grade basketball, and track and field. McCoy is part of a family that has Loveland Tiger pride extending back three generations.

Deeply rooted in Loveland, McCoy is surrounded by a close knit, loving, and highly athletic extended family. He grew up in Loveland with his mother and father and three athletic sisters. McCoy was inspired by his father Stan McCoy Sr, also a Loveland High School athlete who graduated in 1943, who later became a history and physical education teacher at Loveland High School, as well as the head football coach, athletic director, assistant principal and assistant superintendent. McCoy said, “My father coached everything and he was a great athlete. He pushed everyone to be their best and his mantra was if you’re going to do something, do the very best you can or don’t do it at all.” [quote_left]McCoy was inspired by his Father Stan McCoy Sr.[/quote_left]

This mantra seems to run throughout the entire McCoy bunch. When they commit to something – they do it all the way. They have a sense of community and love teaching children.  Playing sports is in their DNA. Their sense of community and family is hard to match. It’s the little things they do that make a difference. For example; McCoy’s sister Sandy, faithfully works admissions with a smile at every Loveland Middle School basketball game while McCoy coaches. Another example is how McCoy stops in to see his mother everyday to see if she needs anything. Or, after my recent surgery he stopped by my house with one of our all time favorite foods….chicken wings.  He’s a busy guy,  yet still carves out time to make others feel important and loved. [quote_right]He’s a busy guy yet still carves out time to make others feel important and loved.[/quote_right]

This family has touched many hearts in many ways through coaching or teaching.  For example, his cousin Terry McCoy was a teacher, two of McCoy’s sisters were teachers, and his two brothers-in-law coached and were also teachers. Chris, Herb, and Tom Mihalik are childhood friends of McCoy’s.  Of course they are also athletes, teachers or coaches.  Even their parents were teachers. Tom Mihalik holds the Loveland High School football career record for rushing yards in 1973. Herb was inducted into the Loveland High School Hall of Fame in 2009 for his performance in 1974. His cousin Jack McCoy, who McCoy claims was a top notch natural athlete, holds the season record for rushing yards in 1967 and was elected into Loveland’s High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. The athletic lineage just keeps on going.  Matt and Pat Hamill, McCoy’s nephews, are natural athletes. Matt, better known as “The Hammer”, is a three-time NCAA Wrestling Division III National Champion and is incredible.

Another successful cousin of McCoy’s is Bob Hauser, an author, highly ranked Loveland high school quarterback, and a national champion when he attended Wittenberg University. As you could of guessed, he’s also a coach! Bob’s brother, Bill Hauser started as quarterback at Marietta all four years.  Mark Baron, another of McCoy’s cousins is in the Loveland High School Sports Hall of Fame – Class of 1974, for his numerous awards in basketball and football.

McCoy himself holds the Loveland basketball season and career record for the most assists in 1970 through 1973.  He had quite the career playing Xavier basketball back in his college days. He was head coach, Tay Baker’s first recruit. When asking McCoy about awards he’s earned, he is humble and says, “It’s not important because I’d rather just play the game. What’s important is the team, not the individual. If it wasn’t for all of these people and my teammates, I wouldn’t have anything. I was very fortunate to play ball with such outstanding people.”

When asking McCoy what his future plans are he said, “In my older age here I am feeling that all I really know what to do is to play ball. I cannot move very well like I used to. So, you know it would be nice to be able to learn to do different things and fix stuff around the house. But, as for our family, I would not trade it for anything.”

And you know what Coach? You shouldn’t change a thing.