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Coach ‘Red' Rogers leaves lasting legacy with his players
By Doug Endres/MVM News Network
Bill “Red” Rogers never failed to impress his golfers with his generosity or his knowledge of the game.
Rogers, a coach and teacher at Hamilton since 1962, died at the age of 74. While no longer a teacher at Hamilton, Rogers still served as the West Hancock boys golf coach with players from Hamilton, Warsaw and Nauvoo-Colusa. Rogers coached through four years of dialysis treatments. His final team qualified for the Class A state tournament.
“He had to miss a few meets because of dialysis, but he was able to go to state. That made him happy,” said senior golfer Jake Newton.
Rogers related well to athletes because he was a great one. He graduated from Western Illinois University in Macomb in 1954 with 12 varsity letters in basketball, baseball and football. He was inducted into the WIU Athletic Hall of Fame individually and with the WIU 1953-54 basketball team, which placed second in the NAIA Tournament.
Rogers was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in baseball and the Los Angeles Rams in football. He played minor league baseball for the White Sox.
While serving in the Army, he played baseball for the U.S. Army baseball team. He was voted the most valuable player in all of Europe and was awarded a trip to the 1956 World Series.
“I've talked to people who saw Red play,” said Dave Dion, former athletic director at Hamilton. “He impressed people with how smooth he was around the basketball court.”
Dion took over for Rogers as a football coach when he arrived at Hamilton. Rogers also coached baseball, track and field, basketball and golf at Hamilton, Eastern Illinois University and Sparland High School.
He coached at Hamilton since 1962 and was a physical education teacher, athletic director and a junior high social studies teacher at various times.
Outside of coaching, Rogers served as president and as a board member for the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) and was inducted into the IBCA Hall of Fame. He also was an IHSA Basketball Advisory Board member.
Golf was one of Rogers' loves. He was one of the original founders of Deer Run Golf Course in Hamilton and served as a board member. He loved to spend his days there and didn't mind having players for company.
“He had fun with us,” said Newton. “He bought our meals, even during the summer. We each were allowed two bags of range balls each day during the summer that he paid for just so we would go out and play.”
“He made sure we were set with whatever we needed,” said senior golfer Brice Baker of Hamilton. “He made sure everybody had the same things that everybody else did.
“I don't think I paid for one meal in my entire four years of golf,” Baker said.
Both players knew some of Rogers' past playing experience.
“He mentioned some of it a few times. It was pretty amazing all the things he accomplished,” said Newton. “Even when he wasn't feeling well and couldn't show us how to do something, he could always tell us what to do. We could trust he knew what he was talking about.”
“He knew everything,” Baker said. “He had been around the game so long that he had seen everything. He told us what to expect. He made sure we didn't do anything stupid on the golf course that would get us into trouble.”
Rogers was asked to re-start the Hamilton golf program in 1990. He did and won four straight West Central Conference titles and went to the state tournament twice. Hamilton was 15th in 1991 and second in 1992. The team placed sixth at sectionals in 1993, missing a third consecutive trip to state by two places.
He was inducted as a coach into the Illinois Golf Coaches Hall of Fame.
Rogers died on Feb. 18. His funeral in Bushnell, Ill., drew many former players and students back to the area to say goodbye.
“His golfers came back,” said Dion. “I saw several people I hadn't seen in years. Red just made an impression on people. Every time we went out of town and someone heard we were from Hamilton, they would always ask if we knew Red Rogers.”
“He was really one of a kind,” added Baker. “I don't know how I would explain him to someone. You had to meet him.”
Rogers, a coach and teacher at Hamilton since 1962, died at the age of 74. While no longer a teacher at Hamilton, Rogers still served as the West Hancock boys golf coach with players from Hamilton, Warsaw and Nauvoo-Colusa. Rogers coached through four years of dialysis treatments. His final team qualified for the Class A state tournament.
“He had to miss a few meets because of dialysis, but he was able to go to state. That made him happy,” said senior golfer Jake Newton.
Rogers related well to athletes because he was a great one. He graduated from Western Illinois University in Macomb in 1954 with 12 varsity letters in basketball, baseball and football. He was inducted into the WIU Athletic Hall of Fame individually and with the WIU 1953-54 basketball team, which placed second in the NAIA Tournament.
Rogers was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in baseball and the Los Angeles Rams in football. He played minor league baseball for the White Sox.
While serving in the Army, he played baseball for the U.S. Army baseball team. He was voted the most valuable player in all of Europe and was awarded a trip to the 1956 World Series.
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Dion took over for Rogers as a football coach when he arrived at Hamilton. Rogers also coached baseball, track and field, basketball and golf at Hamilton, Eastern Illinois University and Sparland High School.
He coached at Hamilton since 1962 and was a physical education teacher, athletic director and a junior high social studies teacher at various times.
Outside of coaching, Rogers served as president and as a board member for the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) and was inducted into the IBCA Hall of Fame. He also was an IHSA Basketball Advisory Board member.
Golf was one of Rogers' loves. He was one of the original founders of Deer Run Golf Course in Hamilton and served as a board member. He loved to spend his days there and didn't mind having players for company.
“He had fun with us,” said Newton. “He bought our meals, even during the summer. We each were allowed two bags of range balls each day during the summer that he paid for just so we would go out and play.”
“He made sure we were set with whatever we needed,” said senior golfer Brice Baker of Hamilton. “He made sure everybody had the same things that everybody else did.
“I don't think I paid for one meal in my entire four years of golf,” Baker said.
Both players knew some of Rogers' past playing experience.
“He mentioned some of it a few times. It was pretty amazing all the things he accomplished,” said Newton. “Even when he wasn't feeling well and couldn't show us how to do something, he could always tell us what to do. We could trust he knew what he was talking about.”
“He knew everything,” Baker said. “He had been around the game so long that he had seen everything. He told us what to expect. He made sure we didn't do anything stupid on the golf course that would get us into trouble.”
Rogers was asked to re-start the Hamilton golf program in 1990. He did and won four straight West Central Conference titles and went to the state tournament twice. Hamilton was 15th in 1991 and second in 1992. The team placed sixth at sectionals in 1993, missing a third consecutive trip to state by two places.
He was inducted as a coach into the Illinois Golf Coaches Hall of Fame.
Rogers died on Feb. 18. His funeral in Bushnell, Ill., drew many former players and students back to the area to say goodbye.
“His golfers came back,” said Dion. “I saw several people I hadn't seen in years. Red just made an impression on people. Every time we went out of town and someone heard we were from Hamilton, they would always ask if we knew Red Rogers.”
“He was really one of a kind,” added Baker. “I don't know how I would explain him to someone. You had to meet him.”
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