Just call him “Coach.” That’s what his neighbors at Henry Ford Village call Armand Vigna. And it’s a name that will stick in spite of

Coach Armand Vigna at a game with his Livonia Franklin football players. (Photo by Victor Matta)

the fact that the assistant varsity coach at Livonia Franklin High School hung up his cleats for good in November 2009. Yep, Coach Vigna’s retirement capped a 50- year career of training high school football players.

Vigna thought he’d retired twice before, but found himself lured back to the field instead. This time it’s for keeps, he says.

Going to 50

After coaching 2 years at Ravenna High School and another 5 years at Cherry Hill High School, Vigna came to Livonia Franklin, where he coached for 27 years. During that time, he was twice named Area Coach of the Year and was elected to the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Vigna also chaired the school’s guidance department for 15 years.

When he and his wife, Ruth, moved to Rogers City in 1993, he was recruited to coach at the local high school. It was so much fun that he stayed for seven seasons. Then, when the Vignas moved to Henry Ford Village in 2000, he decided to volunteer back at Livonia Franklin. Surprise! They hired him, and he coached nine seasons—from 2001 to 2009.

When, in 2007, he tried to retire a second time, no one would let him. His fellow coaches, his Patriots players, and even his wife and children insisted, “You have to go to 50!” So he did.

Out on a win

Last season, which he knew would be his last, Coach Vigna kept his decision to himself, finally announcing it during his locker-room speech before the Patriots’ final game. Their 4-4 record meant they had one chance to pull out a winning season. Coach Vigna fired them up by challenging his senior squad: “Years from now,” he told them, “you’ll look back on this and say, ‘We went out winners.’” Then, he added, “That’s how I feel. I want to go out a winner—you are my last seniors.”

The team took the challenge, won 19-8, and advanced to the play-offs.

Coach Vigna’s retirement leaves a void at Livonia Franklin. As Head Coach Chris Kelbert was quoted on the team’s website: “The locker room will not be the same.” But Coach Vigna’s dedication will continue. He’ll be there, cheering from the stands on Friday nights.

For the love of the game

Coach Vigna has loved football since his childhood in Detroit. “We played it in frozen icy streets,” he recalls. “I had an uncle who had a friend who played at the University of Michigan. I got hooked on the U of M.”

That “Michigan mystique” clinched his desire to coach.

No slouch in the brains department, Vigna earned three degrees at the University of Michigan, including a master’s and an educational specialist degree in guidance and counseling. His graduate studies sharpened his focus on issues of teenage self-esteem. But he credits his wife—“She was also a coach, a debating coach”—for his philosophy. “Ruthie said that when they’d lose a debate, she’d build them up. When they’d win or they’d get cocky, she could be more critical. So I started thinking about that: Be positive, be positive, be positive. That became my thing, and I think that’s why I’ve lasted as long as I have.”

Life in the retirement lane

The Vignas spend December through April in Florida, then return to Henry Ford Village. “We have a ball,” says Coach. “We’ve never regretted moving here.”

He’s involved with the Village Computer Club and is a lay Scripture reader at Sunday’s Protestantchurch service. He’s also active with groups that Mrs. Vigna helps lead. For example, she cochairs the weekly nondenominational Vespers program, so he occasionally leads the service.

Coach Vigna aims to stay healthy and frequently heads to the campus fitness center to log two miles on the treadmill. He does crunches (abdominal exercises) every day—a hundred of them on his living room carpet, with his toes hooked under the sofa.

Still playing games

His competitive spirit is matched by a mischievous sense of humor. He delights at winning a game invented by his wife, who, by the way, was his college sweetheart. When they encounter anyone at the Village, “We say Happy Monday, Tuesday, whatever day it is,” he explains. “If I say it before you, I win. And what I win is a laugh. At first, people thought we were nuts, but now we’ve got everybody saying it—including the head chef.”

So, is there life beyond football? Absolutely!

While Coach Vigna will never tire of talking about the game, his wife says he’s just as eager to discuss their seven grandkids.

Click to here to watch a video of Coach Vigna guiding his team to a victory!