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'Coach D' Honored
By Kelly Bunch
The Weekly Post
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Published February 4, 2010
SYLVANIA – Thursday, Jan. 28, Sylvania renamed its high school baseball field "Wade Daniel Field", in honor of former baseball coach Wade Daniel.
Daniel passed away recently and many in attendance at the dedication spoke of the impact Daniel made on their own children.
Sylvania mayor Mitch Dendy opened the dedication with strong words of praise for Daniel.
“No one wanted kids to succeed more than Wade Daniel,” said Dendy, “Coach Daniel loved this community and its kids.”
Those who knew Coach Daniel also knew that he not only loved and cared about his kids, he loved and cared about all kids. It was not uncommon to see Coach Daniel talk in length to players from opposing teams, finding out how their lives were going.
Daniel was one person who gained respect from everyone, but never demanded it from anyone. Coach Daniel got respect the old fashioned way--he earned it.
Daniel was one of the rare coaches that, as a parent from an opposing team, you would sit and watch and wish your child would have had the privilege to play for that man.
“If Wade were here he would be in awe of everything that has happened,” said Daniels' wife, Debbie. “He would have been embarrassed that all this attention was on him. He was always for everyone else getting the attention and looking good themselves.”
There is no doubt Wade Daniel was one of the most well-liked and well-respected coaches in DeKalb County.
Before Bro. David Hairston prayed over the dedication, he spoke about how grateful he was that Coach Daniel was a part of his own son’s life.
Daniel taught and coached in DeKalb County for over 30 years. His untimely death came as great shock throughout DeKalb County and beyond. Many remember him as the head baseball and assistant football coach at Sylvania High School. He also served a stint as Geraldine High School’s head baseball coach.
At the time of his death, Daniel was in his second year at Ider High School.
Despite all his work at Sylvania, many do not know how instrumental Wade Daniel was in helping obtain the funds and building what many young people will enjoy for years to come.
“Coach D had a vision for the future of our kids,” Dendy said.
The future for the children of the Sylvania should be very bright for years to come; the legacy of Wade Daniel will live on.
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