Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, September 2, 1993 TAG: 9309020510
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: S-25 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BOB TEITLEBAUM STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Jerry Cannaday fully expected to give up coaching football in the spring, kick off his shoes and play with his many grandchildren during the summer, then start socializing in the fall.
It hasn't happened that way.
Cannaday, a native of Roanoke who was an outstanding player at Jefferson High School and Virginia Tech, moved back to the city to be with his mother and mother-in-law three years ago. He gave up his job as head football coach at Bassett and wound up commuting 20 miles to Shawsville, where he has been athletic director and football coach for two years.
In the spring, Cannaday, retired as football coach but retained his duties as a teacher and athletic director so he could spend more quality time with his family. That was always in the game plan when he took over the Shawnees' football program.
It used to be that Cannaday had to study film every weekend, wash uniforms after Friday night games, prepare a practice plan and do some of the other tasks that fall to most high school coaches on fall Saturdays and Sundays.
Everything was in place for Cannaday to retreat to his job as Shawsville's athletic director. He had spent two years putting the program in place so that his successor would have a chance to make the Shawnees respectable in the Mountain Empire District.
Cannaday insisted that in 1994 and 1995, Shawsville would be stronger because of the many youngsters he had brought into the program. Most years, the Shawnees had a hard time attracting football players, but Cannaday reversed that trend and this year the varsity - which recently numbered fewer than 20 - will dress about 35 players.
Mike Blevins was his chosen as Cannaday's successor in June. In late July, however, health problems forced Blevins to give up the job, putting Shawsville in a bind only three weeks before preseason practice.
"When I found out we needed a coach, Jerry was on vacation," said Nelson Simpkins, Shawsville's principal. "My major concern was what we could do to keep the momentum going that Jerry had established the previous two years. I felt it would be difficult to find someone of his caliber.
"I put it out on the grapevine that we were looking for a coach, but I didn't hear anything back. I felt I could find an unknown coach, but I would risk doing damage to our program and set it back two or three years."
Simpkins had his secretary track down Cannaday at the beach, where he was vacationing with his wife, Gretchen.
"When he called, Jerry was out on the golf course. I almost answered [yes] for him," said Gretchen Cannaday, who had no trouble figuring out what her spouse's response would be.
"They didn't have to twist my arm too hard," Jerry Cannaday said. "Nelson had called some of the people he had interviewed for the job, but it was so late they couldn't leave their jobs."
"Jerry, as well as our entire family, were disappointed that we'd only get him for a little while [this fall]," said Gretchen Cannaday.
"We had made some plans for September. I had never made plans for that month previously, but the family was very supportive," said Jerry Cannaday.
Gone was an opportunity to visit his children in Charlotte, N.C., during the fall.
"One of our daughters is expecting in November. We told her she'd have to wait until after football," said Gretchen Cannaday.
The Cannadays are very close to Virginia Tech quarterback Maurice DeShazo, whom they consider to be as close as their own children. DeShazo played for Cannaday at Bassett when the Bengals enjoyed some of their best moments in football, including an unbeaten regular season in 1989.
"We've always gone to the Tech home games to see Maurice, but this year we were thinking about going to some road games. I guess that will have to wait a year," said Jerry Cannaday. "We had been offered [fall] trips that we couldn't take before."
The Cannadays had to change their plans, but the adjustment wasn't too difficult for the Shawsville players.
"The first thing I told them when I talked to them was that they were getting two for the price of one - two 30-year-old coaches [Cannaday, who is 60] for one [Blevins, who is 30]," Jerry Cannaday said. "I said it didn't work out quite like I hoped, but that I was glad to be back. We'll just approach it like I never left."
Cannaday said one of the reasons he retired as football coach was that there were some good people at Shawsville, such as Blevins, who were ready to step up. He still hopes one of his assistants will be ready by next year.
"Yeah, this is the last year," said Jerry Cannaday.
"I'm not smiling," said Gretchen Cannaday.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB