Chip Harp, Valdosta Today Sports

VALDOSTA — No one questions the legacy left behind by Coach Nick Hyder.

Few could ever hope to rival the stature of long-time Wildcats coach Wright Bazemore, but Hyder did, in a show of character and faith rarely seen in sports, and to a greater extent in life.

Everyone knows that now, but this week in 1974 few would have believed Hyder’s fate as he started his first season as the Wildcats head coach with a huge loss to Thomasville High School.  The Wildcats would be blown out 40-0 by the Bulldogs, on their way to a dismal 3-7 season.

Of course, that would be his only losing season, as he went on to earn almost 250 wins with his Wildcat players, and over 300 total for his career.  After his death, the school honored him the best way it knew how, by adding his name to the storied home of the Wildcats, now Bazemore-Hyder Stadium.

But let’s put this in today’s perspective.  Using today’s quick-impulse, knee-jerk standards of win now or go home, would Hyder have been retained for 1975?

He came to the job from West Rome High School with an impressive 53-12-3 record.  He was replacing Charlie Greene, who by the standards of Hyder’s first season, was very successful, and went on to continue that success.  Greene’s teams had gone 9-1 and 8-2, successful for most programs, but not good enough for Valdosta.  The team missed the playoffs both years, so he was replaced by Hyder.

After that bitter loss to Thomasville, and those other 6 loses that season, someone had the nerve back in 1974 to give Hyder what he needed most, time and patience. And boy did that pay off.

Hyder has been called the greatest coach in Georgia High School football history.  He won 3 national championships (’84, ’86, & ’92), and 7 state titles.  Overall, he won 300 games in less than 30 seasons. No one else in Georgia has matched that record.  Not even his illustrious predecessor.

Hyder was taken from us much earlier than anyone expected.  But his legacy of character, honor, and faith makes a very strong case against making decisions too hastily.

Patience and commitment many times pays off larger than anyone could expect.  Let’s be glad Valdosta High could see that, better than most.