TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The Tucson community is mourning the loss of a beloved coach and teacher, Bob Vielledent — known to generations of students and athletes as "Coach V."
He passed away at the age of 78.
Vielledent held many roles in the Tucson Unified School District (TUSD) and beyond, leaving a lasting impact on countless lives throughout his career.
Levi Koenen, a friend of Coach V who worked alongside him on the football field at Tanque Verde High School, reflected on what made Vielledent so special.
"Everybody loved him, everybody that talked about him always spoke highly of him. So then when I got to actually meet him and sit and listen to him and see how he interacted with the kids and the things that he did was just really an honor to be around somebody like that," Koenen said.
Vielledent's extensive career in education and coaching earned him an induction into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
According to the Hall of Fame, Vielledent started coaching football at Sahuaro High School in 1971, where he served for 32 years. He coached Sahuaro freshman and JV football for 21 years, with the JV team having an undefeated streak of 29 games (1983-87). He also coached the JV basketball team for 21 years with a 223-41 record and served on the varsity staff for 19 years.
Vielledent simultaneously coached the varsity football team at Santa Rita High School (1987-1995) to a 57-33 record and four playoff appearances in eight years. He has the most coaching wins in Santa Rita’s history. In 2002, Vielledent was a finalist for the NFL National Teacher of the Year award and was Southern Arizona Basketball Coach of the Year.
In 2003-04, he served as Dean of Students at St. Augustine’s Catholic High School, as well as athletic director and head coach for boys’ and girls’ basketball. Vielledent also served as the director of after-school sports and physical education at Our Mother of Sorrows School.
Sahuaro High School Athletic Director Steve Botkin is very much connected to Vielledent. Botkin says he played football for Coach V in 1984, recommended him for his first coaching position at Rincon High School, and then hired him at Sahuaro in 2001.
He honored Vielledent in a statement to KGUN 9.
"Sahuaro High School has lost a true legend with the passing of teacher and coach Bob Vielledent — 'Coach V.' to the generations of students and athletes whose lives he shaped. Coach V began his journey at Sahuaro at just 23 years old, embarking on what would become a remarkable 30-year career as a Cougar, defined by dedication, leadership, and heart. He served as a business teacher while also coaching football and basketball, mentoring countless young men and women both in the classroom and on the field. His passion for education and athletics eventually led him to finish his career at Sahuaro as the Director of Athletics.
His impact did not go unnoticed. In 2003, Coach V was inducted into the Sahuaro Cougar Hall of Fame, and in 2009 he was honored with induction into the Pima County Sports Hall of Fame. Also in 2003, he was recognized on a national level as a runner-up for the National Football League Teacher of the Year award — a testament to the profound influence he had far beyond his own campus.
More than titles or accolades, Coach V will be remembered for the lasting impact he made on every person, fortunate enough to cross his path. He was a devoted teacher, a passionate coach, a respected colleague, and above all, a loving husband and father. He shared more than 50 years of marriage with his wonderful wife, Gail, and leaves behind his son Marc and daughters Michelle, Shannon, and Amy.
His legacy lives in the countless lives he inspired, the lessons he taught, and the community he helped build. Coach V was, and always will be, a Cougar through and through. Once a Cougar always a Cougar."
Jay Dobyns played for Coach V at Sahuaro in 1976, a connection that grew into a lifelong friendship. Dobyns shared a tribute on Facebook following Vielledent's passing.
"I was a freshman in high school. V wasn't much older than the players he was coaching. We had a 50-year relationship as my coach and teacher at Sahuaro HS, later coaching with me at Tanque Verde HS, but, most importantly, as my friend. I can only hope to have had the impact on my players that V had on me. That is a very high standard," Dobyns said.
Koenen said he learned a great deal from Coach V during their short time together at Tanque Verde.
"Just the way that he interacted with the kids and the way that he spoke to them, he was very soft and gentle, but he had this commanding voice where it was like, I'm here. I need you to pay attention to what I'm saying because what I'm going to tell you is going to be important not just for football but for life," Koenen said.
"Any kid that talked to him and interacted with him, you could see they held a lot of respect for him. They looked him directly in the eye. They always paid attention to the things that he had to say, and they always performed well for him. So it was kind of a really cool thing to just even sit back as a coach. I've been doing it for over 30 years myself, and to sit back and just see how kids interacted with him. You can tell the quality of a coach when you see how the kids interact with him, and Coach V definitely had that."
Koenen now coaches at Mica Mountain High School, where he shares the lessons he learned from Coach V.
"There's so many aspects of high school football that go beyond the field. And with coaches like Coach V, it really transcended the field and it went into a whole different realm of like being a good person, being a good kid, showing up, being a good student. And so, I carry that with me," Koenen added.
Coach V's legacy will live on.
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Vanessa Gongora is KGUN 9's Westside reporter.. Vanessa fell in love with storytelling by growing up in sports. She was fascinated by how sports reporters go beyond the x's & o's to tell players' stories, and how sports bring people together, inspiring Vanessa to provide the same impact as a journalist. Share your story ideas and important issues with Vanessa by emailing vanessa.gongora@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
