For our Christmas story this year we bring readers the stories of two men who, when someone says Coach, come to mind.
Robert Hutchison of Clinton coached and taught at Clinton High School for 31 years, best known for his 13 years leading the Warriors varsity football team. At age 93, Coach Hutchison still lives on Hamilton Place in the house he and his late wife raised their six kids and opened their basement on Sunday nights for the football team to come watch game film.
In Oriskany Falls, Robert Friers, 80, is still called Coach or Coachie by everyone, not just the hundreds of boys he coached in soccer, basketball and baseball. He started in Oriskany Falls and then coached at Waterville, where he delighted students after his retirement with his hall-monitoring duties that included bestowing nicknames on everybody.