By: Danny Aiello Jr
Twitter: @DannyAielloJr
As news flooded social media Monday morning of the passing of Ernie Chatman, former athletes and colleagues took to various outlets to remember someone they not only considered a legendary coach but a “once in a lifetime” type of person.
Chatman, 66, was a pillar of the Hernando County community from his arrival in 1972 when he started at Parrott Middle School.
Known mainly for his coaching career at Hernando High School, Chatman was elected into the Florida Athletic Coaches Association (FACA) Hall of Fame for his Cross Country coaching.
Over his 42-year career, Chatman took the Leopards to the state playoffs for softball twice (2000,2001), captured the 1997 Cross Country State Championship and still holds a tie for most wins in a baseball season with 30 (1993).
“He was a hall of fame coach and an even better man.” Nature Coast Athletic Director Kristin Peeples recalled, “He was a man of integrity and character and you won’t find many like him. He will truly be missed by the entire county.”
With a state title and a three state runner up finishes in Cross Country, it would be easy to forget that Chatman had 295 wins in baseball, as well as four final four appearances leading softball teams.
Nature Coast softball coach Jug Olmstead remembered Chatman as a man who had multiple plans and seemed innings ahead of the competition.
“Ernie was a guy who was so dedicated to his game.” Olmstead recalled. “He was always a few innings ahead and had multiple plans incase he needed them.”
From Plant City Cross Country to Citrus County, twitter flooded with memories of a coach that had impacted more lives than could be imagined.
Not lost in the memories of “Coach Chatman” was memories of Ernie, the man.
FACA tweeted “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Coach Ernie Chapman’s family. Great coach, even better man. You will be missed.”
With the ability to captivate and inspire even those who didn’t want to listen.
“Ernie had the ability to make you find talent in yourself.” Olmstead said. “He came into my life about 20 years ago, and he had that ability to make you want to be better and do better. He was a calming influence for me when I needed one.”
Chatman ran a marathon in all 50 states, and was in the process of completing them again for a second time. An avid runner, Chatman ran every day for 8,814 straight days, a span of over 24 years.
“That was something Ernie and I discussed many times.” Olmstead recalled, “It shows the dedication of Ernie. He didn’t drink or do drugs, so running was his drug.”
The loss of Chatman in the community is a tough pill to swallow, as you’d be hard pressed to find someone duplicate his success on the field and bettering those around him.
“I will never say never again,” Olmstead said. “But it will be pretty hard to find someone who did what Ernie did for so long and be so successful at it. Times are changing, kids and parents are changing. I think it will be tough for anyone to do what he did.”
Chatman is survived by his wife Linda, and three children Erin, Beth and Bret, as well as multiple grandchildren.
A funeral for Ernie Chatman will be held in the Hernando High Gym Friday from 4-6 p.m., with the service starting after.
NOTE FROM THE WRITER:
I met Coach Chatman on several occasions, but the first time I met him was at the 2014 Leopard Slam Softball Tournament. Nature Coast was playing South Sumter when he walked into the press booth sitting next to me and another writer. I knew who he was, not many people don’t recognize him and his straw hat. We chatted for a bit, but the one thing I will never forget was his ability to see things almost before they happened. He would stare at the diamond, say something off the cuff about positioning and footwork or predictability when it came to pitching and the next thing you know, what he had just said happened.
By the time I started covering Hernando County in 2008, a majority of the coaching career of Ernie Chatman was over. His name, however, always mentioned during Hernando High events. This man touched the lives of many students over his teaching and coaching careers. From doctors to repairman, all who have spent time with him have said he has impacted their lives much more than anyone thought he could. Even for myself, the few times I spoke with him he passed on an abundance of knowledge about sports, which somehow always seemed more like metaphors for life.
The loss of Ernie Chatman is truly a sad moment for this county, as his impact will be hard to find again. With the ever changing landscape of the county and high school athletics, it might not be impossible, but to find someone with the dedication for improving lives and longevity that Chatman had might not happen again.
I grew up and went to school with Ernie, a more honest and sincere person you’ll never meet. Prayers to his family and friends.
66 isn’t very old. What happened to him? Very sad.
I heard from his friends he was a great person on so many levels. To a guy that exercised a bunch, what was the cause of death? I heard cardiac issues but that could be incorrect.
Run run run yourself to DEATH. There is no way the human body can take the punishment of running several miles everyday of your life. You simply wear your body out. Very sad Mr Chatman was a great man. He will be missed.
the hearts life span is actually far greater than the average person lives. It is mostly comprised of muscle and can and will strengthen over time. the problem today is that much of our food is heavily processed and refined and the excess cholesterol and bad fats cause blockages. This primarily leads to things like heart disease which is the number 1 killer. Basically exercise probably kept him alive longer but our modern processed foods caused his issue. He might of also had genetic contributors but with out his full m.h. its speculative.
You will be missed coach, our prayers to the family
from all of us at Kennedy electrc
Unfortunately heart disease is in his family history, his parents passed at a much younger age. Coach was an incredibly generous, gentle, energetic and intense competitor who truly cared about all athletes, his own and his competition. He suffered a heart attack in his house after a short run on Sunday evening. He truly loved running and the joy of setting and accomplishing goals in and out of athletics. Thoughts and prayers to his family and many, many friends.