Gary Vicini HALL Accomplishments ● A 1972 Ottawa graduate,
he was a legendary football coach at Hall, where he also coached baseball, softball and track and field ● Led the football team for 25 seasons where he finished with an all-time record of 195-80 and qualified for the state playoffs 20 times ● Compiled a 32-18 playoff record and led the Red Devils to the Class 3A state championship in 1995 and 2001 and 3A state runner-up finish in 1996 ● Coached baseball for 17 years, winning three regional titles ● Member of the inaugural Hall High School Hall of Fame and Illinois High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame
NEWSTRIBUNE FILE PHOTOS
By Brandon LaChance
I
f you went to Hall High School in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s or are a local sports fan, you either know Gary Vicini or recognize the name. The new generation, however, may need a refresher course. “It’s funny and I laugh a little bit,” Vicini said. “When I substitute teach at Hall, I talk to some of the kids and ask them, ‘What year were you born?’ They’ll answer, ‘2003.’ I tell them I retired from teaching in 2009 when they were only 6 years old. A lot of those kids are not real familiar with who I am, although some of the boys know me. “It’s fun to think about what happened. There are trophies in the trophy case. There are a lot of super athletes that went through the school in the 1990s and the 2000s that played football for us. To say I’m a legend? No, I just coached high school football.” The 1972 Ottawa High School (played football, basketball, and baseball) graduate and 1976 Illinois Wesleyan University (played football and baseball) graduate has had only one employer – Hall High School. He was hired in 1976 to teach physical education and driver’s education. Frank Colmone, the Hall athletic director at the time, knew Vicini was a gym rat and hired him to coach the sophomore football team, the freshman basketball team and be the head baseball coach. “I moved to Spring Valley in 1976. I was a young, single man and
WHERE are they NOW
34 June 2022 | Illinois Valley Sports Hall of Fame | A NewsTribune Publication
