Vickery returns to his roots as Chaffee coach

The longtime Sikeston High School coach will try to get his alma mater back on track.

By Derek James ~ Standard Democrat

Chaffee High School's struggling football program will look to an alumnus and hall of famer to bring it back to respectability.

After stepping down two years ago after 26 years as the Sikeston Bulldog head coach, Charlie Vickery will take over his hometown team. Vickery graduated from Chaffee High School in 1970.

Vickery was unavailable for comment, but Chaffee athletic director Terry Glenzy said the community is excited to get him back on the sidelines.

"We interviewed four candidates and I think we made a good choice," said Glenzy. "He was an overwhelming favorite. He and another one had very good interviews. But Charlie had the experience over other people. He just wanted to come back here. He's an alumni and he coached here for four years. He just wants to try to get the program back on its feet again. We think he can do it."

This will be the second stint for Vickery as Chaffee head coach. Vickery coached the Red Devils from 1974 to 1977, putting together a four-year record of 16-22, including an 8-2 season in 1976. After his four years in Chaffee, Vickery was hired at Sikeston, where he compiled a record of 156-104 with nine conference championships and seven playoff appearances from 1978-2003. Vickery's work at Sikeston helped him earn a spot in the Missouri Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2004.

The Hall of Fame coach will have his work cut out for him at Chaffee, which has won just three games over the last four years and has not won more than three games in a season since a 6-4 record in 1990. Over the past 10 years the Red Devils are 12-86.

The Red Devils are currently marred in a 24-game losing streak, with their last win coming on Oct. 11, 2002, over East Prairie. But Vickery is used to such tasks. When he took the Chaffee job in 1974, the Red Devils were in a similar situation, having won just three games in four years, including two winless teams.

Vickery will be assisted by Jim Mays and Glenzy, who will be coaching again for the first time in eight years.

"We've talked, and we're not going to be miracle workers," said Glenzy. "There's a couple things that he's got to accomplish first -- change some attitudes and just try to be competitive. That's just to start with, then we'll move on to other things."