THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 2, 1994 TAG: 9405280203
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DWIGHT FOXX, COMPASS SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: 940602 LENGTH: Long
Granby Athletic Director Dan Butler will retire after two decades in the Virginia Beach and Norfolk school systems. He's spent the last 17 years at Granby, his alma mater.
{REST} ``I'm going to miss working with the coaches and the kids,'' Butler said. ``I love it. I go to most of the sporting events and have really enjoyed it.''
He not only has gone to most of the sporting events at Granby, and many at other schools, he has overseen a lot of them as well. Butler is the Eastern District chairman for boys and girls tennis and boys and girls cross country and the Eastern Region chairman for baseball, individual wrestling and team wrestling.
``If the baseball state tournament is here, I'll do the state quarterfinals and sometimes the semifinals,'' the Comets' discipline specialist said.
What most people don't know about coach Butler is that he's one of the finest athletes ever at Granby. In 1949, he became Virginia's first scholastic state champion in the heavyweight division. The next year, he became the state's first two-time winner.
``Billy Martin, the wrestling coach at Granby, probably changed my whole life around,'' Butler explains.
``I wasn't very confident or had a lot of self-esteem when I entered high school. Billy instilled in me that confidence that I needed for wrestling. Couldn't blame anybody but yourself - you either win or lose.''
Butler also played football for the Comets. He played offensive and defensive line. His most vivid memory of his high school days involved a game that the Comets did not win, in which, everything went wrong.
``We got beat one time 52-0 by Hopewell. That has been a pain in my side for a long time. The most miserable game I ever experienced.''
In 1951, he would experience his most thrilling moment as an athlete. He was a freshman defensive tackle at the University of Tennessee when it won its last national title by going 10-0 during the regular season. The Volunteers lost to No. 3 Maryland in the Sugar Bowl.
``Most thrilling sports season, I've ever had,'' he remarked.
Bob Neyland was the Volunteers coach and his defensive tackle said he had a knack for telling them what was going to happen in a game.
``I'll never forget, one time, we were playing Alabama. He told us before the game we were going to be behind at halftime and beat them by two touchdowns. Sure enough, that's what happened.''
Three years later, Butler would leave Tennessee with a bachelor's degree in education. His wife and two sons later graduated from the Knoxville school.
Butler spent time in the Army, including a stint at Fort Eustis in Newport News, before going into teaching in 1961. He was an assistant football coach at Princess Anne for two years.
It was at Princess Anne that Maury athletic director Jerry Sazio first came into contact with him. Sazio was an assistant at Maury.
``I've known him for 30 years,'' Sazio reflected. ``We scrimmaged them at Princess Anne. It was the first time I was aware of Dan. We both had pretty fair teams.''
``He's chaired and directed a lot of activities. I'm going to miss meetings with him.''
Sazio, Butler and Lake Taylor's Bert Harrell are three of the area's longest-reigning athletic directors.
The 62-year old Butler is about to do his version of a Michael Jordan. Actually, Michael Jordan might be doing a Dan Butler. Butler is getting ready to start his third career as a realtor for Long and Foster. Before going into teaching he spent two decades in the military flying helicopters.
``I have enjoyed two careers,'' he said. ``I couldn't have chosen two careers I enjoyed more. Lucky to be in places I like to be.''
When Butler was flying helicopters in the Army, he did two tours in Vietnam and is lucky to be alive. On his first tour in 1966, the craft he was landing exploded on a mine. He suffered a collapsed lung and a broken arm and was sent home after 10 months.
He did a second, more dangerous, tour in 1969. He was flying when the North Vietnamese shot the aircraft down and it caught on fire. Thirty-three people were on the craft that day but only 13 survived.
``I don't know how I did it but I was able to turn the plane to the side and climb through the window,'' the 1950 Comet graduate said. ``There was no gunfire once we were on the ground. Nothing happened.''
He would spend six more months in Vietnam completing his 12-month tour. Like many veterans, Butler came home surprised by the reaction, demonstrations and protests.
``My reaction was . . . this was my job. I was going to be a career soldier. It wasn't a big controversy when I was there (Vietnam). It wasn't like being drafted in the army. It was going to be my career. I felt like it was for the good of the country. That's what politicians said and that's the way I felt. That we were stopping communism. ''
The former Granby two-sport standout would spend eight more years in the Army before retiring in 1977.
``I had 20 years in and I wanted a civilian career,'' he said.
Johnny Brown, then the principal at Granby and Butler's coach when he played at Granby, encouraged him to get into the teaching profession. He started coaching boys and girls tennis and golf.
With his days in teaching numbered, Butler is living his motto: Press on.
``Keep trying to better yourself. Don't let things bother you as much as you can. Motto in Vietnam. Been my motto in life. Don't let little things bother you.''
``I've enjoyed teaching, I've enjoyed it all,'' he said. ``It's been fun.''
by CNB