OUTSTANDING COACH

Induction Year: 2016 | Graduation Year: 1979

Christopher Lee Roberts was born in Dayton, Ohio to Dan and Rosemarie Roberts. He grew up in Park Layne near New Carlisle, Ohio.  He is the oldest child in the family, with two brothers, Tim and Scott and a sister, Mechelle. He graduated from Tecumseh High School in 1979.  He played football for the Park Layne Wee Arrows, New Carlisle Junior High Panthers and lettered in high school playing for the Arrows. He is proud of the fact that from 8th grade to finishing his senior year at Tecumseh, he never missed a football practice or game.

After graduation, Chris served four years in the United States Coast Guard. After training as an Electronics Technician, he was stationed at Coast Guard Group Duluth, Minnesota. His duties included repairing small boat equipment at Coast Guard stations and maintaining light houses all around the Western half of Lake Superior. He was honorably discharged in 1983.

Growing up, Chris was always interested in using his Grandfather and Uncle’s movie camera and wanted to pursuer a career in film making. After his discharge from the Coast Guard, he attended a radio and television school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After graduation he was hired as a news videographer by WKEF TV in Dayton in 1984.

Chris covered many news events during his 30 year career for NBC, later ABC Channel 22 which later combined with WRGT-TV Fox 45. One of the memorable stories that he covered was being at the Cincinnati Reds spring training camp in Plant City, Florida when the Pete Rose gambling story broke and following it all the way to Pete’s sentencing in Federal Court in Cincinnati. He was able to do a story from a hot air balloon and many stories done from airplanes, including riding in the bombardier’s seat in a B-17 bomber. Chris covered political campaigns and elections from President’s Reagan to Obama. He covered many fires, accidents, criminal activity and sporting events from pee wee to professional all around the Miami Valley area.

Chris has many interests including reading, genealogy and history. His interest in football began at a very early age, watching, playing and reading about the history of the sport every chance he got.  After his playing days were over he always was interested in someday being a football coach like his father, a long time coach and co-founder of the Wee Arrows Apache team. When a change in his work schedule in 1988 freed up his afternoons, he applied for an assistant football coach position at New Carlisle Middle School. He was hired by then, new varsity head coach Mike Lucas and athletic director, Doug Chaffins.

After being a New Carlisle Middle School assistant under head coach, Drew Gross, for one year, Chris became the head coach at NC the next season. At the time the New Carlisle Panthers along with the Olive Branch Spartans were Tecumseh’s two middle schools that played each other in sports. They were very competitive and fierce rivals. The 7th and 8th grade formed one team for each school which limited the 7th graders playing time. The rivalry and hard feelings even continued when the players combined at Tecumseh as freshmen. Doug Chaffins and Mike Lucas decided it was time to combine the middle school football teams and received school board approval to do that in 1990. The combining of the football teams was a new concept in the area with the advantages being able to form separate 7th and 8th grade teams which would give the 7th graders more playing time as well as better instruction with four coaches working together under a common system. Chris was appointed to be the head coach of the combined middle school teams and it was decided to call the team the Tecumseh Middle School Arrows. 

Chris’ organizational skills were put to the test as all of the different challenges of combining two different school’s football teams were faced. Two different school schedules, administrations, practice facilities, equipment and game schedules were some of the issues that needed to be addressed before practice could even begin.

It was decided that the program would focus on developing 7th and 8th graders to join the High School team in a few short years. Academics, participation and fundamentals were stressed above all. 

In addition to coaching at the middle school, Chris served as the Tecumseh Football team videographer, shooting over 300 game films for the varsity coaching staff through his 25 years.  

Due to health reasons Chris resigned from his coaching position in 2014 and was pleased that Tim Emberton agreed to take over the program and continue and further its philosophy and goals. He also resigned his videographer position at WKEF-TV and now works as a news video editor for WHIO-TV Channel 7.

Chris lives in Vandalia with his wife Jackie. They are very proud of their two daughters. Elizabeth lives in Waynesville, Ohio with her husband Will. Stephany lives in San Jose, California.

With the help of a dedicated group of assistant coaches through the years, Chris is very proud of the role that the middle school football program has played in the success of Tecumseh Football. He is honored to be inducted into the Tecumseh Athletic Hall of Fame. He wishes to thank his family, friends, school administration, members of the Tecumseh Football Family and all of the TMS football players for their support in his 25 years with Tecumseh.